If so, there’s lots you need to know about how chickens are reared which will help you make more informed choices when you’re shopping, eating out or grabbing your favourite take-away.
Plus, whether you eat meat or not, we’d like to tell you about Better Chicken, why it’s so important, and how you can support it.
You can also find out more about the Better Chicken Commitment and discover which food companies have made the pledge to introduce higher welfare standards for all chickens reared for meat.
And once you know why Better Chicken matters, maybe you can share it with your family and friends.
You have the power to give chickens a better life by choosing higher welfare if you buy chicken. JOIN US... AND BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT FOR GOOD!
Making life better for millions – actually, billions – of chickens
Why we need to raise the bar
Chickens raised for meat are the most farmed land animal in the world. In the UK alone, more than one billion chickens are reared each year. The vast majority are raised in barren, cramped sheds - often with no natural light and nothing for them to do. These birds can feel emotions just like us - such as pain, fear and boredom - so regularly suffer in these harsh conditions.
Most chickens are bred to grow so big so fast (4x faster than 50 years ago) they are unable to behave like chickens, who naturally like to perch, peck, forage and play. These birds often struggle to walk and spend most of their time sitting doing nothing or become lame. They suffer a range of other health problems including heart defects, organ failure, muscle disease, foot lesions and compromised immune systems.
WHAT IS BETTER CHICKEN?
Better Chicken is chicken that comes from higher welfare farms, where the birds are healthier, slower growing breeds that have the opportunity to lead happier lives doing more of what's natural to them like perching, pecking, scratching and playing.
But it’s not just the chickens that benefit – it is good for you and for the environment too!
If you buy chicken, carefully check the label to see what kind of life the bird has had - use our Chick-O-Meter to understand what the labels mean for the chickens.
You can download our handy Chick-O-Meter leaflet and take this with you when you're shopping!
It’s important to look out for recognised higher welfare logos or schemes such as Soil Association Organic,RSPCA Assured or Red Tractor Enhanced Welfare (not standard Red Tractor).
Sainsbury's and Tesco have a small range of chicken that meets the Better Chicken Commitment criteria. In Sainsbury's it is 'Corn Fed' and in Tesco it is the ‘Room to Roam’ range.
Take note: some supermarkets may describe their chicken as 'higher welfare' because they have given the birds more space to live or provided some enrichment. But unless the chicken complies with the five key criteria of the BCC - including a change to slower growing breeds of chicken - then it cannot be considered higher welfare.
Phrases such as ‘trusted farms’, ‘trusted farmers’, ‘butcher’s choice’ or ‘reared with care’ do not have a legal definition you can rely on.
If you can’t see any recognised labels in store, ask the store manager what welfare standards their chickens are reared to and always CHOOSE BETTER!
If you choose plant powerand opt for more plant-based foods, this will help to reduce the demand for chicken which fuels the most intensive, low-welfare farming systems - as well as being good for your health and the environment too!
You can also support companies that have pledged to introduce BETTER CHICKEN welfare through the Better Chicken Commitment. Over 125 UK businesses are already on board, including Greggs, KFC, M&S and Waitrose. Please support these companies and be part of the journey to change the lives of millions of chickens for the better!
Together, let's make a positive impact on chicken welfare!
5 facts about chickens - how much do you know?
Chickens are the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex BUT unlike the mighty T-Rex, known for its strength, many chickens reared for meat are bred to grow so big so fast that their legs cannot support their weight. This accelerated growth weakens their immune systems and results in conditions such as heart defects, organ failure and muscle diseases.
Chickens can live to be 7 or 8 years old - the oldest recorded chicken, called Peanut, was 21! BUT in standard production systems chickens can be slaughtered as early as 30 days - merely one month from birth.
Chickens are intelligent - they can count, use geometry and remember 100 different faces! BUT in conventional production systems, chickens rarely see the light of day, living in dimly lit barns with nothing to do. This lack of enrichment leaves them bored and disengaged.
Chickens can run up to 9 miles per hour and love to flap their wings BUT in typical production systems, chickens endure their entire lives in overcrowded sheds where they are packed closely together, consistently vying for space, and unable to perch, peck, or engage in natural playful behaviours.
Chickens are sentient beings, they can feel fear, distress and pain BUT in standard slaughterhouses, they undergo a terrifying process where they are suspended upside down by their feet in shackles before being subjected to an electrified water bath which is not always effective in stunning them before slaughter.
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Your support powers our work to influence the food industry and achieve better welfare for millions of chickens.
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If you have any further questions regarding this, or any other matter, please get in touch with us at supporters@ciwf.org.uk. We aim to respond to all queries within two working days. However, due to the high volume of correspondence that we receive, it may occasionally take a little longer. Please do bear with us if this is the case. Alternatively, if your query is urgent, you can contact our Supporter Engagement Team on +44 (0)1483 521 953 (lines open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).