The Humane League UK (THL UK) is an animal protection charity that works relentlessly to end the abuse of animals raised for food through both institutional and individual change. Since 2016, THL UK has worked to hold corporations and policymakers accountable for improving welfare for farmed animals. The State of the Chicken Industry report is written by THL UK to document the improvements in standards for chickens raised for meat in the UK as well as the need for further systemic change to prevent the needless and excessive suffering
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Changing from fast-growing Frankenchickens to slower-growing breeds must become the
Whilst lower stocking density is undoubtedly beneficial, breed contributes significantly to improved broiler welfare. Our research¹ shows that across studies, under matched environmental conditions including different stocking densities, and equivalent body weights, conventional faster growing broilers demonstrate poorer walking ability, more contact dermatitis, and a greater mortality risk than slower growing broilers.
- DR SIOBHAN ABEYESINGHE
Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science
The farming of fast-growing breeds of chicken is arguably the biggest animal welfare crisis in the UK. These breeds are dubbed ‘Frankenchickens’ for a reason. Their unnaturally fast-growth, caused by decades of intense selective breeding, can cause them many painful health problems². Before even reaching the point of slaughter, they suffer from higher rates of organ failure, lameness, burns from lying in their own ammonia-rich waste, diseases like ascites and white-striping on their muscles, and mortality in general. Over 1.5 million chickens, mostly Frankenchickens, die prematurely³ on UK farms every week.
The vast majority of this suffering is caused, and could be stopped, by retailers. Supermarkets dominate chicken sales in the UK, which means they influence the welfare standards not only of their suppliers, but also of the entire UK chicken industry.
The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) is the solution. It is a commitment that businesses should adopt in order to raise the baseline standards of chicken farming. This would include the use of healthier, slower-growing breeds, giving the birds 20% more space than the industry standard, natural light, and less painful slaughter methods. It should be the new minimum standard for chicken welfare.
Recent polling shows that 75% of consumers say that animal welfare is an important factor when choosing what supermarket they shop at.
But only 16% of people claimed to know what the word ‘Frankenchicken’ means. While an estimated 90% of chickens raised for meat in the UK are Frankenchickens, the public are not familiar enough with the intricacies of farmed animal welfare to know how chickens suffer due to their breed. As laid out in this report, marketing and labels on supermarket products can be unclear and prevent consumers from understanding what they are buying.
That is why we need systemic change from the ground up in the form of the BCC. The BCC is based on science, developed by experts to tackle key sources of suffering, and designed to be a workable policy for businesses.
The BCC is well established and not going away, but supermarkets are being slow to adopt the most crucial element - getting rid of Frankenchickens. This report will demonstrate how breed change is both financially viable and the right thing to do. If retailers try to solve the issue of breed head-on, and in dialogue with animal charities, Frankenchickens can become a thing of the past, and the lives of billions of chickens will be improved permanently.
PERCENTAGE OF SUPPLY COMMITTED
Around one quarter of UK chicken supply is committed to the BCC.
Since its inception in 2017, 384 companies have signed up to the BCC across Europe , a 15% increase from 2022. 131 of these companies are UK-based.
In the last few years, companies have been making new significant commitments, notably from Vapiano .
Vapiano’s commitment was the result of a joint campaign by the Open Wing Alliance, a global coalition of animal charities, and will affect over 100 restaurants across Europe.
PROGRESS REPORTING
Reporting progress towards meeting the BCC is one of the requirements of the pledge. Of the total 384 commitments to the BCC in Europe, 34% are reporting progress towards fulfilment. 124 companies are reporting progress and 6 are fulfilled.
34 out of 131 UK companies are reporting progress, 26% of the UK total.
PROGRESS IN FRANCE
Around 58% of France’s chicken supply is signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, and 81% of its top 50 committed companies are reporting on their progress. France can provide a blueprint for all other countries that continue to rely on the use of Frankenchickens.
SECTOR BREAKDOWN
The use of Frankenchickens is sustained and supported primarily by supermarkets.
Polling conducted by YouGov demonstrates that customers believe animal welfare is important. Almost three quarters (75%) of those surveyed said that animal welfare is an important factor in choosing where to shop. This figure remained relatively consistent across all major supermarkets.
Outside of Waitrose (83.9%) and Marks & Spencer (81.1%), Co-op topped the list, with 78.3% of loyalty card holders saying animal welfare is important.
Photo:
UK chicken supply
Implemented the BCC across all of its fresh chicken in 2022. Committed to reduce stocking density (20% more space than industry standard (Red Tractor)) for chickens used for ingredients by May 2025 and on track to fulfil by 2026.
On track to meet full BCC commitment for all chickens by 2025.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens. Implemented reduced stocking density for all fresh and frozen chicken.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens. Implemented reduced stocking density for all fresh chicken.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens. Committed to reduce stocking density on all fresh chicken by October 2024.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens. Committed to reduce stocking density for fresh chicken by November 2024. In 2024, Morrisons discontinued its Space to Roam range, which fully complied with the BCC and used slower-growing breeds.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens. Committed to reduce stocking density for all fresh chicken in 2025. Offers ‘Room to roam’ range of RSPCA Assured indoor chicken that meets the BCC criteria.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens. Committed to reduce stocking density on all fresh chicken in 2025.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens at legal minimum standards.
Continues to sell Frankenchickens under Red Tractor standards for all chicken.
Most supermarkets have refused to show leadership on what is the most crucial animal welfare issue of our time. But doing so would increase consumer confidence, sustainability credentials, and the moral standing of such a company. Supermarkets should see the BCC as an opportunity for success - an opportunity which has been successfully leveraged by companies like M&S.
THE MAGNIFYING GLASS: STOCKING DENSITY ER
There is progress outside of full BCC pledges. UK retailers are making incremental steps independently, notably by giving chickens more space.
Most chickens in the UK are housed at a maximum stocking density in line with Red Tractor certified standards of 38kgm². BCC criteria requires a stocking density of no more than 30kgm².
In 2022, Sainsbury’s committed to giving their chickens more space, meeting the BCC space criteria. This was followed by the Co-op in 2023, although its members voted for the adoption of the BCC in full. In 2024, Morrisons, Lidl GB, Aldi, and Tesco all committed to reducing stocking density to 30kgm² for their fresh chicken supply.
Now, only Asda and Iceland have not moved on stocking density.
Morrisons has discontinued its Space to Roam range, which raised birds to the standards of the BCC. This is a retreat from exploring the potential of slower-growing breeds, which must remain a core part of future progress.
All supermarkets (other than Iceland) retail a low percentage of higher welfare ranges of chicken which comply with the BCC criteria. These include free-range, organic, RSPCA Assured, and Red Tractor. This percentage is estimated to be at around 5.8% of the market amongst the UK’s top 10 supermarkets.
Changing the breed should not be optional. The BCC was designed as a holistic policy by animal welfare experts to tackle the sources of intense suffering in chicken farming. Without breed change the policy is unfinished, and animals continue to suffer intensely.
Photo: Andrew Skowron
| Open Cages
Out of the 50 restaurants with the most locations in the UK, 27 have committed to the BCC⁴, totalling 54%, which presents a stark contrast to the proportion of committed supermarkets. These include household names like KFC, Nando’s, and Wagamama.
However, some major restaurants are still refusing to stop selling Frankenchickens. This includes McDonald’s and Costa, despite rivals like Burger King and Starbucks making the move.
COMMITTED COMPANIES INCLUDE:
FRANKENCHICKENS AT HOME, BCC ABROAD
Some of the UK’s top restaurants are still relying on Frankenchickens despite having BCC commitments in other countries.
This includes Domino’s UK. Domino’s has proven itself willing to change in other parts of Europe, notably Poland, where it committed to the BCC in full this year, but also in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Lidl has committed to the BCC in France, and Aldi is committed in Germany, France, and Denmark. This disparity between countries begs the question: if animals and customers in France deserve this higher standard, why not those in Britain?
SIGNED UP TO THE BCC IN THE UK:
20% 54%
RETAILERS
Photo:
Andrew
Skowron
| Open Cages
Achieving good lives for farmed animals is a priority for us, our British farmers, and our customers.
We are the only supermarket to use higher welfare chicken across all of our own-brand products, from fresh chicken through to our ready meals, sandwiches, and even stock.
We already meet the Better Chicken Commitment requirements for space and enrichment, and we are on track to deliver the remaining requirements in 2025. We know slower-growing birds are healthier and happier birds, and we have started to introduce this new breed into our flocks to push our industry-leading animal welfare standards even higher.
JAKE PICKERING
Senior
Manager,
Agriculture at Waitrose
MILESTONE: JUDICIAL REVIEW
In May 2023, THL UK argued in the High Court that the use of Frankenchickens is unlawful. This is on the basis of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 which states:
Animals may only be kept for farming purposes if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of their genotype or phenotype, that they can be kept without any detrimental effect on their health or welfare.
THL UK argues that if an animal’s genes mean they can’t be farmed without suffering or health problems, they are unlawful. THL UK believes Frankenchickens meet this criteria. Victory in the court could render these breeds being declared unlawful and phased out.
After two days in the courtroom in 2023, and significant media interest, THL UK’s case was eventually rejected on the grounds that the judge did not agree with our interpretation of the law. The court concluded that the language of this law refers to the obligation of the keeper who must keep the breed chosen in appropriate conditions without any detrimental effect on the animals’ health or welfare.
THL UK rejects this line of reasoning as it believes the law is concerned with whether the breed of an animal means that animal is prone to detrimental health problems.
THL UK was granted an appeal on the grounds that there is a legitimate argument to the contrary of the High Court decision, which needs to be considered by the court.
The appeal case is due to be heard in the Court of Appeals in October 2024 and will put the breed of the UK’s chickens raised for meat under the spotlight once again.
WAITROSE
Waitrose is on track to meet its commitment by the end of 2025, including on breed change, well ahead of the 2026 deadline.
Waitrose is also managing to source over 20% fewer chickens than 3 years ago, while maintaining the same overall weight of chicken sold, through an increased emphasis on smart carcass utilisation.
This is a winning strategy as it mitigates the cost of the BCC as well as reducing the number of animals farmed, improving sustainability (see page 19). It also goes hand in hand with healthier, slower-growing chickens who have lower rates of mortality and whose meat is less likely to be downgraded.
MARKS & SPENCER
Marks and Spencer is the only UK supermarket to have fulfilled their commitment and become BCC compliant for all fresh chicken on its shelves. The result of this has been a 33% increase⁷ in sales and a reduction in customer complaints. The retailer also plans to be net zero by 2040, something the BCC can play a role in (see page 19).
GREGGS
Protecting animal welfare is one of our ten commitments in The Greggs Pledge, and we monitor and report quarterly on our progress to the Board and ensure it remains a priority when making
We are dedicated to improving the welfare of broiler chickens and are proud to be signatories of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). While there are some challenges in the availability of BCC compliant chicken for our requirements, we will not let this stop us in our tracks. To improve broiler chicken welfare, whilst fulfilling as many of the Better Commitment Chicken criteria as possible, we
All our chicken will be reared at a stocking density of 30kg/m2 with improved mobility and leg health.
STUDY ON STOCKING DENSITY
Van der Eijk et al (2023)⁸
A recent study of chickens raised for meat looked at the effect of different stocking densities on both faster and slower-growing breeds.
They found both breeds benefit from reduced stocking densities. However, slower-growing breeds still show better overall welfare.
“Overall, slower-growing broilers showed lower performance [lower daily body weight gain, daily feed intake, and mortality, with higher feed conversion ratio], better litter quality and welfare measures compared to fast-growing broilers, indicating improved welfare... Thus, reducing stocking density and using slower-growing broilers benefits broiler welfare, where combining both would further improve broiler welfare.”
We can conclude that different elements of welfare have a cumulative effect on the wellbeing of birds, highlighting the need for the BCC to be adopted in full.
STUDY OF GROWTH RATE
Baxter et al (2021)⁹
This commercial study looked at welfare outcomes across the farm and through to slaughter, comparing the Ross 308 (fast-growing) with the Hubbard Redbro (slower-growing) kept in the same housing conditions.
They found a significant improvement in many welfare outcomes from the Redbro, including; consistently less lameness, better feather cover, higher levels of perch use and play behaviours, and increased reactivity to approaching observers. As well as these positive welfare outcomes, mortality and meat quality downgrades during slaughter were much lower, improving the economic feasibility of the breed.
In conclusion, the slower-growing breed was healthier and more capable of displaying some natural behaviours.
STUDY ON MORTALITY
Forseth et al (2024)¹⁰
Another study compared the mortality rates under commercial (Norwegian broiler production) conditions of the Ross 308 (faster-growing breed) and the Hubbard JA787 (slower-growing breed) throughout the on-farm and transport phases of production.
Stocking densities were roughly the same and slaughter ages were respective to their breed33 days old for Ross and 46 days old for Hubbard. Barns for both breeds were described as “closed barns with automated ventilation and concrete flooring covered with bedding (mostly wood shavings)”, with no mention of environmental enrichment.
The total mortality rate, meaning how many chickens die on-farm or before reaching the slaughterhouse, was 4.41% for the fast-growing breed and 2.24% for the slower-growing breed. Deaths during transport were also lower for slower-growing birds.
While management practices can influence mortality rates, the slower-growing breed had significantly lower mortality throughout the on-farm and travel stages of production, demonstrating that even when reared in the same conditions, slower growing breeds are healthier.
Photo: Open Cages
An objection to the BCC is that it will take too much space to implement, with detractors saying that more barns will need to be built to accommodate longer lifespans of slower-growing birds. This barrier has already been overcome to some extent, as the majority of supermarkets have increased the space for chickens in barns.
This concern is further mitigated by lower mortality rates and fewer rejections at slaughter associated with slower-growing breeds as well as maximising underutilised existing growing space. Furthermore, chicken consumption must decline for ethical and environmental reasons, with people buying less but better meat.
The reduction of meat products on offer is being accepted by some of the most powerful food businesses, with Lidl¹ ² in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia, and Austria pledging to sell 60% plant-based compared with 40% animal products by the year 2030. Aldi has committed to the same, but only in the Netherlands.
We must significantly reduce the number of animals we eat to have any hope of tackling the climate emergency. Agribusinesses invest big in sponsorship and advertising to increase sales of unhealthy, unsustainable food, then rationalise the expansion of factory farming on the basis of increased demand. We need to break this cycle and support sustainable farming.
RUTH WESTCOTT
Campaign Manager, Climate Nature Emergency Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming
SPACE
Photo: Andrew Skowron
Photo: Andrew Skowron | Open Cages
COST
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is a complex topic which cannot be reduced to a single metric like emissions. Animal welfare should work in tandem with sustainability, and sustainability should not be used as an excuse to keep animals in poor conditions.
The Open Wing Alliance released a landmark report¹¹ on sustainability and the BCC in November 2023 whose key findings included:
Approximately one in twenty Frankenchickens are culled or die of illness on farm, whereas slower-growing breeds experience around half the rate of mortality .
Fewer mortalities and lower soya requirements of slower-growing birds can contribute to significantly lower emissions
Globally, industrial poultry farming is the leading cause of resistance developing in bacteria, which the UN predicts will kill as many people¹ ³ as cancer by 2050.
Using slower-growing breeds could reduce the amount of antibiotics used by up to nine fold
A primary argument against adopting the BCC is cost. Recent research¹⁴ compared the fast-growing Ross 308 and the slower-growing Redbro. It found that production costs increased by 21.9% per bird and 37.5% per kilo of meat yielded .
These numbers represent a worst-case scenario and are higher than previous estimates.
RESPONSE
There are many issues with this report. It does not consider the whole lifecycle of chickens (parent flocks and hatcheries) or present transparent data sources. For example, the study assumes a difference in mortality between the two breeds of just 0.5% based on ‘industry views’. Additionally downgrades at slaughter, reduction in water usage, and pre-existing windows in barns were not factored into costs. This report has too many limitations to be considered a valid objection to the BCC.
CONCLUSION
Even in this worst case scenario, a 37.5% cost increase would equate to: a 66% reduction in ‘Disabling Pain’ and a 78% reduction in ‘Excruciating Pain’ for every bird reared to BCC standards instead of conventional production¹⁵.
At the highest estimate (37.5% increased cost), a kilogram of chicken meat would cost 277.4 Euro Cent instead of 201.8 Euro Cent.
IF COSTS WERE PASSED DOWN FROM SUPERMARKETS TO CONSUMERS, AT THE HIGHEST ESTIMATE, THE AVERAGE BRITISH CONSUMER COULD PAY JUST 94 PENCE EXTRA PER WEEK.
With a whole chicken often being sold for less than the price of a coffee, this is an investment worth making.
WELFARE WASHING
“Welfare-washing” is a phenomenon where companies dupe customers into thinking that they have good animal welfare standards when the reality is different.
The legal minimum welfare standards for chickens in the UK can lead to a lot of unnecessary suffering. Many retailers are trying to assure customers that their products are ethical by describing them as some variation of higher welfare, when they are marginally better than the legal minimum but still far from ‘good’.
A prime example is Co-op’s ‘Space to Thrive’ initiative. This marketing is misleading: while it does speak to the added space Co-op provides its chickens, these birds will certainly not ‘thrive’ as long as they are Frankenchickens.
YouGov polling indicates 78.3% of Co-op loyalty card holders consider animal welfare an important factor when choosing where to shop - one of the highest out of any supermarket. Co-op’s membership¹⁶ also voted at their 2023 AGM for the supermarket to adopt the BCC in full - something it has not done.
MATTERS
75% of shoppers consider the animal welfare standards of a supermarket to be WELFARE
Polling by YouGov explored 5 logos used on fresh chicken packages in UK supermarkets to promote higher welfare. The survey asked consumers who purchase chicken meat products to identify what aspects of chicken welfare each label promoted.
The survey revealed that there is a lack of clarity in the meaning behind all logos as it relates to animal welfare standards. This in turn fails to help consumers make informed decisions. 13 people surveyed (less than 1%) knew the correct welfare standards for all 5 labels.
74.4% of those surveyed showed a significant lack of clarity when understanding any of the labels (either by selecting the wrong answer or by saying that they were unclear about the label in every question). This means only 25.6% could identify one or more of the correct answers.
Only 14.6% correctly identified the welfare standards of Red Tractor. Sainsbury’s Happier and Healthier Lives was 13.0%, Co-op Space to Thrive was 8.2%, RSPCA Assured was 7.0%, and Room to Roam was 1.2%.
PROPORTION OF PEOPLE WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED EACH LABEL 14.6%
RED TRACTOR STANDARDS (CERTIFICATION SCHEME)
Frankenchickens are used and birds have around 20% less space than BCC requirements. All other BCC criteria are met.
SPACE TO THRIVE (CO-OP MARKETING)
Frankenchickens are used but all other BCC criteria are followed, including reduced stocking density.
RSPCA ASSURED (CERTIFICATION SCHEME)
All BCC criteria are including using slower-growing breeds of chicken.
74.4%
SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT LACK OF CLARITY WHEN UNDERSTANDING ANY OF THE LABELS
ONLY 13 (LESS THAN 1%) KNEW THE CORRECT WELFARE STANDARDS FOR EACH LABEL
ONLY 14.6% CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE WELFARE STANDARDS OF RED TRACTOR
In April 2024, THL UK contributed to the Government’s consultation on the labelling of animal products. We strongly argued for compulsory labelling of animal welfare standards on packaging, using clear method of production terms, on a tiered basis, from lower to higher welfare.
This would dramatically improve customer knowledge and empower the public to make conscious purchases in line with their values. With welfare standards in essence ranked from A (highest) to E (lowest), there would be far less ambiguity than at present, where labels and names may give consumers the wrong impression.
However, even if this system is implemented, the BCC will still remain vital, as the use of Frankenchickens is wrong in principle. The suffering of Frankenchickens is an animal welfare crisis which needs solving, and supermarkets and governments must use their power to help farmers transition away from their use.
SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Customers cannot make valid choices between different labels and ranges if they do not understand the conditions they represent. Most people are unaware of how the majority of chickens are bred, live, and die.
In a world where there is so much uncertainty and confusion about labelling, raising the baseline standards, so no customer buys meat produced in a way that is completely at odds with their values, is the best path forward. This is why the BCC is crucial.
Photo: Andrew Skowron | Open Cages
The continued growth of industrial chicken production is neither healthy nor sustainable, and for the sake of public, planetary, and animal health, it must be stopped. Harmful welfare practices, such as using unsuitable breeds or overusing antibiotics, need to be replaced with more ethical solutions. Eating Better calls on food retailers and food service establishments¹⁷ to source food from farms that regenerate nature, provide high animal welfare, and serve our population with the ingredients of a healthy and sustainable diet. The Better Chicken Commitment should be the bare minimum that companies should be doing to ensure ethics and health are prioritised.
MYRTLE GREGORY Research and Policy Officer, Eating Better
Data from the Netherlands shows that fast-growing chickens require far more antibiotics than slower-growing birds. Following public pressure, supermarkets in the Netherlands have moved away from using very fast-growing broiler chickens, as there is strong evidence that they have worse health and welfare. Slower-growing breeds now account for most of the Dutch chicken industry, but fast-growing breeds are still widely used for restaurants, the food-service industry, and exports.
Each year, the Netherlands Veterinary Medicines Institute publishes reports on antibiotic use by species, for all Dutch farms. The data shows that in 2023 farms using fast-growing breeds used over seven times more antibiotics per bird than those using slower-growing birds¹⁸. The report states that for fast-growing broilers “no downward trend in antibiotic use is seen anymore and (structurally) high use occurs regularly” whereas for slower-growing birds “structural (high) use is rare”.
New laws introduced on 17 May 2024¹⁹ make it illegal to use antibiotics to compensate for poor hygiene, inadequate animal husbandry, or poor farm management practices. The use of fast-growing breeds, which are more prone to infections and require far more antibiotics, is poor husbandry and poor farm management. Raising these inherently unhealthy breeds should not be allowed.
Alliance To Save Our Antibiotics
CÓILÍN NUNAN
Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur | We Animals
COMMENT FROM SEAN GIFFORD
Managing Director, The Humane League UK
In the last edition of this report in 2022, we had seen no movement on welfare for chickens raised for meat among supermarkets, with the exception of Waitrose and M&S. In the intervening years, due in part to the campaigning efforts of various animal charities, we have seen a sudden thawing among retailers and a rush on giving birds more space.
This move we applaud. Lower stocking densities mean that chickens suffer less.
However, breed change is essential in tackling some of the most excruciating types of suffering hundreds of millions of these birds face. Without breed change, the greatest animal welfare scandal in British farming continues.
The BCC mandates an end to the use of Frankenchickens. This is vital for providing a
bare minimum standard of welfare for these sensitive animals. It is integral for consumer trust too, in a world where consumers can be baffled by the sheer variety of labels. Knowledge of the differences between these various schemes and supermarket labels should not be consumers’ only route to making more ethical choices.
Food businesses themselves have a huge responsibility to the 1.2 billion chickens raised on UK farms each year and to the average Brit who thinks animal cruelty is wrong.
I want to use this opportunity to extend our hand to all companies that see a future for better animal welfare standards. Let’s work on getting rid of Frankenchickens together. It will be an effort that food companies, farmers, and charities can be proud of.
CONCLUSION
Despite major movement among retailers on stocking density, many have refused to commit to changing the breed of their animals.
This is doing half a job. While more space is important, it is insufficient. Breed change is vital. The use of Frankenchickens is an unnecessary atrocity against animals.
The principles of the cage-free revolution, which saw caged systems go from accounting for the majority of egg production in 2014 to a marginalised position in one decade, must be applied to the more numerous chickens raised for meat. Instead of metal cages, Frankenchickens
live in physiological cages, their fast-growing genetics inhibiting their movement and putting enormous strain and disease risk on their bodies. If hens are worthy of being out of cages, then other chickens are worthy of being spared the suffering caused by Frankenstein genetics.
The BCC is not going away, and is the next step for businesses to make our society a more compassionate place. Companies should invest in meeting its criteria, joining the hundreds of successful businesses already committed to improving their supply chain for millions of birds.
All figures related to polling, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2091 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 25th - 26th June 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
1. “An analysis of the welfare of fast-growing and slower-growing strains of broiler chicken”, Nicol, C, Abeyesignhe, S and Chang, Y, Front. Anim. Sci., 22 March 2024.
2. ‘Eat, Sit, Suffer repeat’, The RSPCA, https://www.rspca.org.uk/webContent/staticImages/BroilerCampaign/EatSitSufferRepe at.pdf
3. “Premature death of 80m chickens raises concerns over UK’s fast-growing breeds”, Jon Ungoed-Thomas, The Observer, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/11/premature-death-of-80m-chickens-rai ses-concerns-over-uks-fast-growing-breeds
4. The Restaurant Report, https://www.restaurantonline.co.uk/Article/2024/01/29/What-are-the-UK-s-top-100-bigg est-casual-dining-and-fast-food-restaurant-brands
8. Eijk, Jerine A. J. van der, Jan van Harn, Henk Gunnink, Stephanie Melis, Johan W. van Riel, and Ingrid C. de Jong. 2023. “Fast- and Slower-Growing Broilers Respond Similarly to a Reduction in Stocking Density with Regard to Gait, Hock Burn, Skin Lesions, Cleanliness, and Performance.” Poultry Science 102 (5): 102603. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10070940/
9. Baxter, Mary, Anne Richmond, Ursula Lavery, and Niamh E. O’Connell. 2021. “A Comparison of Fast Growing Broiler Chickens with a Slower-Growing Breed Type Reared on Higher Welfare Commercial Farms.” PloS One 16 (11): e0259333. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259333
10. Forseth, Merete, Randi O. Moe, Käthe Kittelsen, and Ingrid Toftaker. 2024. “Mortality Risk on Farm and during Transport: A Comparison of 2 Broiler Hybrids with Different Growth Rates.” Poultry Science 103 (3): 103395. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003257912300915X?ref=pdf_downloa d&fr=RR-2&rr=87d06acd0c1e88af
11. Liam Hodgson, Open Wing Alliance, ‘Sustainability and the Better Chicken Commitment’, November 2023, https://assets.ctfassets.net/ww1ie0z745y7/71lV9ayuqM0bforkvH8yfr/f280142577c2bb82aa d3d4d64d5c4567/OWA_-_Sustainability_and_the_Better_Chicken_Commitment__1_.pdf
12. “Aldi and Lidl to sell more plant-based than meat products”, Helena Young, Startups https://startups.co.uk/news/aldi-lidl-go-plant-based/
14. Gittins, Jason, Douglas, Ryan and Townsend, Toby, ‘Costs and implications of the European Chicken Commitment in the EU’, ADAS March 2024, https://avec-poultry.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/European-Chicken-CommitmentReport-ADAS-March-2024.pdf
18. SDa-brief en -rapport 'antibioticumgebruik in 2023, https://cdn.i-pulse.nl/autoriteitdiergeneesmiddelen/userfiles/sda%20jaarrapporten%20a b-gebruik/AB-rapport%202023/sda-rapport-met-brief---het-gebruik-van-antibiotica-bij-l andbouwhuisdieren-in-2023-def.pdf
19. The Veterinary Medicines (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2024, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/567/contents/made
