Time to outlaw cruelty of fast growth chickens

EARLIER this year, I reported from the High Court on a landmark case that had potential to significantly improve the lives of Britain’s cheap supermarket chickens.

During staggeringly short lives – from egg to slaughter in 35 days – 90% of the birds raised annually for meat can gain up to 100g a day.

This statistic is the hidden, dark side of our billion chicken-a-year habit. But our insatiable demand, where a bird can be bought for as little as £3, comes at a horrendous cost.

It’s hardly surprising that these fastgrowing breeds, dubbed Frankenchickens, have a wide range of health and welfare issues, including heart attacks, lameness, bone deformities, muscle diseases, burns and organ failure. A third also struggle to walk and many suffer horrific injuries and illness, living in a space the size of an A4 sheet of paper. The Humane League UK brought legal action against DEFRA arguing it had misinterpreted a key section of animal welfare law in relation to fastgrowing chickens, but the case was dismissed.

The animal welfare group has the go-ahead to appeal in the new year.

Furthermore, a new report by the group found that last year more than 80 million chickens died or were culled in the UK before reaching slaughter weight – a mortality rate of nearly 7%. That compares with 64 million chickens that died prematurely in 2021.

It also found one in 20 fastgrowing chickens are culled or die of illness on farms, whereas slower-growing breeds experience around half the rate of mortality. They argue the fewer mortalities alongside the lower soya requirements of slower-growing birds can contribute to lowering emissions.

Liam Hodgson, the report’s author said: “Current chicken farming practices are cruel to over a billion animals a year in the UK, and pose a huge threat to the health of our environment and population.”

If Britain wants to be a world leader in environmental and animal welfare regulations, Frankenchickens must go.

‘‘

Issues include heart attacks, bone deformity and lameness

Sainsbury’s has apologised and pulled a Christmas card it was selling that animal welfare charities called “offensive”, featuring pigs waiting for the delivery of blankets to keep them warm.

BATTERY Birds gain 100g a day