In 1950, chicken was eaten as a delicacy; The British ate less than a kilo in an entire year. We now eat an average of 25 kg per year, which is more than 2 kg per month.
Live fast, die young
Broilers (chickens raised for meat) are bred to grow bigger and faster. Chickens can live six years or more under natural conditions. However, those used in intensive agriculture are generally slaughtered before they reach six weeks of age.
Free-range broilers are typically slaughtered at 8 weeks of age and organic broilers at approximately 12 weeks of age.
There are a number of welfare issues for broiler chickens.
Welfare problems in broilers
Good animal welfaredepends on three components:
- Physical well-being
- Mental health
- Natural way of life.
On intensive chicken farms, all three are affected byoverpopulationidirty conditions,arid environments, Infast growth. Chickens also suffer from injuries and stressrough handling during capture, transport and slaughter.
More than 70% of chickens raised for meat worldwide are raised in intensive industrial farming systems. This includes the majority of chickens in Britain, Europe, the US and China, as well as a rapidly increasing number in developing countries.
In the EU, chickens are intensively raised to reach slaughter weight in less than six weeks. This is less than half the time it would traditionally take. They spend their short lives in crowded, dimly lit barns without access to the outside air.
Inside the intensive chicken stable
In the chicken coop
In general, broiler houses are bare except for water and food areas, with no natural light. There is litter on the floor to catch the droppings, but this is not cleaned until the chicken is taken out of the stable for slaughter.
The air can become heavily polluted with ammonia from the feces. This can damage the chickens' eyes and respiratory systems and cause painful burns to their legs (called 'hustle burns'), chest and feet.
Chickens confined in these bare sheds are unable to adapt their environment to avoid heat, cold or dirt as they would under natural conditions.
It can get very hot in the barns, especially in summer. If the ventilation system fails, thousands of birds could die from heat stress.
Fast growth
In recent decades, intensively farmed chickens have been bred to grow very quickly. But there are enormous welfare costs associated with this increased rate of growth. They spend much of their time lying down because their legs are not strong enough to support their heavy body weight, and many of them suffer from painful leg conditions.
The rapid growth also puts a strain on their hearts and lungs, they suffer from fatigue and do not have much energy to exercise. Fast-growing broilers spend less time performing natural behaviors such as walking, pecking, scratching the litter and sitting, and more time sitting and eating than slower-growing breeds. In Britain alone, millions of chickens die every year in their stables from heart attacks.
Lamb chicken
These images show potentially disturbing scenes of animal suffering.
Overpopulation
Tens of thousands of birds can be housed in each stable. The 2007 EU Broiler Directive allows the equivalent of around 19 birds per animal square meter, depending on their weight at slaughter. This means that each bird has less floor space than the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
Chickens in crowded stables have little room to move and are disturbed or caught while resting. As they grow, they have less and less room to move and it is more difficult for them to access food and water when they are lame. The crowds will also likely lead to more air pollution, more heat stress and dirt.
Feed restriction by breeders
The rapid growth of broilers is accompanied by an increased appetite. Although the majority of broiler chickens are slaughtered as young chicks for meat, some are kept for longer periods to be used for breeding. Due to the health problems associated with rapid growth, chickens used for breeding are kept on a very restricted diet. As a result, they suffer from stress, frustration and chronic hunger.
Capture, transport and slaughter
Before being transported to slaughter, broiler chickens are usually deprived of food for hours, leaving them stressed and hungry. Capturing, crating and transporting is stressful and can lead to bruises and broken bones. The broilers are caught by hand by a team of catchers, or picked up using a catching machine. About 20 million chickens a year are already dead when they arrive at slaughterhouses in the EU.
At the slaughterhouse, chickens are typically chained by the feet while they are conscious, which is likely to be painful, especially since leg problems are common. The birds are usually stunned by dipping them head first into an electrified water bath before their throats are slit. This anesthesia is sometimes ineffective: the struggling birds may raise their heads and miss the water, causing the throat of the fully conscious birds to be slit.
There are several humane alternatives to intensive chicken farming.
Chicken farming with higher welfare
The systems below offer significantly higher welfare for broilers.
Higher well-being indoors
Some higher welfare systems keep the chickens indoors, but give them more space (about 12 to 14 birds per square meter) than intensive systems. They also have a richer environment: with natural light and straw bales to encourage natural behaviors such as foraging and perching.
RSPCA Freedom Food has the same requirements as other higher welfare indoor systems, but uses a breed that grows more slowly than intensively reared chickens, which is better for their welfare.
Agricultural systems with access to the outside
Free-range and organic chickens have access to fresh air and green areas. The environment can be improved by adding trees and shrubs for cover and shelter.
Free to vary
Standard freewheel
With these systems, the chickens have continuous access to an outdoor area during the day (at least half their lives) and/or they can enter the stables where they are housed at night. In the EU, each chicken must have one square meter of outdoor space. Free-range chickens grow more slowly than intensively kept chickens. They also live longer, at least 56 days.
The benefits include a reduced growth rate and opportunities for natural behaviors such as pecking, scratching, foraging and outdoor exercise, as well as fresh air and daylight. Because they grow more slowly and have the ability to exercise, free-range chickens have better bone and heart health and a much higher quality of life.
Biological
In organic systems, chickens have access to the outside air for at least a third of their lives, and a larger outdoor space (at least 4 square meters) than in free-range systems. Organic chickens grow more slowly and more traditional breeds are often used. They generally grow half as much as chickens on intensive farms and live at least 70 days before slaughter.
Better chicken
Do you choose Happy Chickens? The next time you put a chicken in your cart, it's worth considering what kind of life it's had. You can find more information about Better Chickenher.
