Are you choosing Happy Chickens?
Next time you pop some chicken in your trolley, it’s worth considering the kind of life it’s had.
1. TOO MANY BIRDS.
NOT ENOUGH ROOM.
Meat chickens are the most farmed land animal in the world.
7 billion are reared in Europe every year, with 90% crammed into barren sheds on factory farms.
Chickens can feel emotions just like us, such as pain and fear, so regularly suffer in these harsh conditions.
THE PROBLEM
Crammed together
Factory-farmed chickens are packed into overcrowded sheds – often with no natural light and only litter on the floor.
They dislike being crammed together and will compress their feathers to avoid touching one another.
A lack of stimulating materials mean they spend most of their time inactive and bored.
THE SOLUTION
Room to breathe
A chicken’s life is transformed when they are given more space, natural light and can do what comes naturally: pecking, scratching, wing flapping and perching.
In the best systems, they have separate places to rest, feed, drink and play – and can go outside for fresh air and sunlight.
2. TOO BIG. TOO FAST.
Most chickens are bred to grow so big and so fast they can struggle to walk and can develop serious heart conditions.
Chickens are healthier, happier and more active when they are bred to grow more slowly and have the space and stimulation they need to behave like, well, chickens.
THE PROBLEM
Trapped in oversized bodies
Exhausted, they struggle to walk and often become lame.
Many develop heart conditions making them even more inactive and prone to metabolic problems.
High body weight causes their muscles to degenerate – which also reduces the quality of the meat.
THE SOLUTION
A natural, healthy size
Choosing slower growing breeds means:
- Chickens have more natural proportions and are able to walk more easily.
- They have stronger hearts and better resistance to disease.
- Their muscles are strong and healthy too, which provides good quality meat.
3. BAD FOR THEM.
BAD FOR US.
Meat chickens are bred to grow so fast they’re ready for market as early as 33 days old. This is exhausting for them and leads to serious health problems.
Selective breeding to create oversized animals, and their appalling living conditions, create health hazards for us too, and lower quality, less nutritious meat.
THE PROBLEM
Unhealthy, for them and us
Antibiotics are routinely overused to help chickens survive a poor welfare system – when they should only be given to sick animals.
Their poor immune systems and factory farm conditions allow dangerous bacteria to flourish, which can lead to a greater risk of food poisoning.
The quality and nutritional content of intensively farmed chicken meat is also poorer.
THE SOLUTION
Healthier chicken, healthier you
For them: Making sure chickens don’t grow too fast and have better living conditions dramatically reduces the need for antibiotics. As a result fewer chickens become infected with harmful bacteria.
For us: Buy higher welfare chicken – the quality of the meat will be better and you can be sure you are giving your family healthier food to eat.
LET’S MAKE LIFE BETTER
FOR BILLIONS OF CHICKENS
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What do the labels mean?
Check your chicken now with our
HAPPY CHICK’O’METER
Scroll left and right to see which labels mean happier chickens.
If you can’t see any of the above in store, ask the store manager what welfare standards their chickens are reared to.
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HAPPY CHICKEN IS…
BETTER FOR YOUR FAMILY
Buying higher welfare chicken means you can be sure you’re giving your family higher quality meat that’s more nutritious too.
BETTER FOR CHICKENS
Chickens are much more active and healthy in higher welfare systems.
BETTER FOR THE PLANET
If you choose higher welfare, eat less and waste less, we can all help lower overall meat production and take the pressure off the environment.
…And it can save money too. If you reduce the amount of meat you eat, you can save on your food bill and still afford higher welfare chicken.
