Next, think about the parents of these birds. They have, of course, the same genetically selected voracious appetite as their offspring, and the same tendency to gain weight rapidly. Unlike their offspring, who are slaughtered when only 6 or 7 weeks old. But the working lives of the parents begin only when they reach sexual maturity. If they were allowed to satisfy their appetites, they would become so obese that they would most likely die before they are old enough to reproduce. The producers’ solution is to keep them hungry for their entire lives.