Committing to improve the lives of chickens
Working for a better life for farmed animals takes commitment - and in this case, I’m talking about the ‘Better Chicken Commitment (BCC)’. I believe that by signing up to this agreement, retailers and the food industry can transform the lives of meat chickens in the UK.
As RSPCA campaigns manager, I work towards creating positive change for farmed animals - and chickens deserve better.
A whopping 1 billion chickens are estimated to be farmed in the UK this year. A small percentage of these are farmed to the RSPCA’s higher welfare standards on the RSPCA Assured scheme. But unfortunately, the vast majority of farmed chickens are reared to standards that are not good enough.
What does the Better Chicken Commitment actually mean?
Together with our partners and supporters, my goal is to see all UK retailers and the food service industry sign up to The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
This means that they adhere to six key requirements for farmed chicken that will drive up better welfare practices:
- Indoor-reared chickens, without outdoor access, need to be given more room to peck, scratch, dust bathe and rest without being disturbed
- Indoor-reared chickens need to have natural light provided, which means they won't spend their whole lives in dark, artificially lit conditions
- Chickens should have enrichment items - things that they can explore and peck at, as well as perching so they can roost
- No cages or multi-tier systems are allowed
- There should be more humane methods for slaughter than live shackling and water-bath stunning.
- Use of slower-growing breeds of chicken
Chickens need space to move and play
I am proud that the RSPCA is involved with the BCC and that we understand chicken welfare. The RSPCA has developed over 700 higher welfare standards for chickens that aim to provide chickens with a good life, and RSPCA Assured member farms must meet all of these in order to be certified.
These standards mean that:
- Chickens have space to move around and flap their wings
- They have more straw bales to peck at and play
- ‘Thinning’ is not allowed (where some chickens are removed from the flock for slaughter before others - to reduce stocking density or sell different weight chickens)
- And…importantly, fast-growing breeds of chicken are not permitted.
Why are fast-growing chickens not permitted by the RSPCA?
The more I have learnt about what ‘fast-growing’ actually means, the more I understand why these breeds aren’t allowed by the RSPCA.
Today, over 90% of chickens farmed for meat are from three breeds that have been genetically selected to grow rapidly in order to reach slaughter weight as quickly as possible. This means that their legs do not develop fast enough to support their body weight, so in the final days of their lives they are unable to move.
But alternatives are available.
The RSPCA commissioned a trial that revealed when compared to a commercially viable slower-growing breed, these three breeds had significantly higher mortality, poorer health, and were less active. They spent less time walking and standing, and more time feeding and sitting – and growing… and growing… at a rate that was extremely, unnaturally fast.
I’m not alone in thinking that this is no life for any animal. A slower-growing chicken will be able to build muscle and their bones can develop which means they can move, explore and exhibit natural behaviours - essential for a better quality of life.
Consumers demand improved animal welfare and food quality standards
We know that consumers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from and how it was produced. In fact, 87% of people who buy chicken meat expect supermarkets to ensure all chicken meat they sell is farmed to higher welfare standards.*
Any chicken with the RSPCA Assured label means it comes from a slow-growing breed that has lived a better life. But major UK retailers, quick-food service companies and chain restaurants sell fast-grown chicken meat from lower welfare systems.
Although many UK supermarkets have taken positive measures in recent years, by increasing the space provided to their chicken, it is meaningless if the chickens are unable to move.
In a positive step, in Autumn 2022, M&S became the first UK retailer to switch all its fresh chicken meat to higher welfare - improving the lives of over 60 million chickens each year.
M&S and Waitrose and Partners have both committed to meet the higher welfare requirements of the BCC on all of their chicken by 2026.
Ask your supermarket to commit to the BCC and slower-growing breeds.
You can support the RSPCA’s campaign to raise awareness to improve the lives of chickens by showing you want to see higher welfare chicken in all supermarkets and across the food service industry. Use this form, which sends an email directly to major retailers.
About the author
Emily Harris
Emily Harris is a Campaigns Manager at the RSPCA