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Better Chicken

Better Chicken

  • CHOOSE BETTER
  • BETTER CHICKEN
  • BETTER COMPANIES

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Are you choosing Happy Chickens?

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

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

Scroll left and right to see which labels mean happier chickens.

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If you can’t see any of the above in store, ask the store manager what welfare standards their chickens are reared to.

Download the Chick-O-Meter here

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.

Start a Revolution

JOIN US AND START A REVOLUTION

Every time you’re in a supermarket, check what kind of chicken you’re buying with our Happy Chick’o’meter.

CHECK

Sign up for email alerts and keep up to date on the difference you make to chickens’ lives.

JOIN

Your support powers our work to influence the food industry and achieve better welfare for millions of chickens.

DONATE

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Better Companies

WORKING WITH THE FOOD INDUSTRY TO CREATE CHANGE

So far, more than 1.78 billion animals are set to benefit each year from our corporate partners’ policies, practices and commitments – 70% of these animals are meat chickens.

We’re calling on food businesses to offer chickens a better life, with:

• Better genetics for improved quality of life

• More space to live

• Natural light, perches and pecking substrates to stimulate behaviour

• Humane slaughter

• Compliance with a meaningful third party animal welfare certification and annual reporting

Due to the increase in consumer demand for higher welfare products, food industry leaders have already started stepping up for chickens in a major way – and hundreds of millions of birds will live better lives in the future as a result.

In the US, over 100 companies have already made a public commitment to provide better welfare for chickens. Help us achieve the same in Europe!

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Check out who has signed up to the European Chicken Commitment below

KFC has publicly committed to sourcing its chicken to the new higher welfare standards in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Germany, by 2026.

M&S was the first UK retailer to sign up to introduce the new welfare requirements across 100% of their fresh and ingredient chicken by 2026. Find out what the other retailers are doing here.

Waitrose & Partners already provides their chickens with more space, natural light and a rich environment and have committed to move to a more active, robust breed of chicken, as outlined in the European Chicken Commitment.

Casual Dining Group (CDG), the leading UK restaurant group, has publicly committed to introduce higher welfare standards for chickens across their entire business portfolio including: Café Rouge, Bella Italia, Las Iguanas, La Tasca, Huxleys, Oriel Grande Brasserie and Belgo.

All Nestlé food products that use chicken as an ingredient in Europe will move to the new higher welfare standards by 2026. Read more here.

Unilever’s commitment covers all its bouillons and soups – a truly phenomenal commitment given that the chicken is for ingredients in products where its power in the supply chain is limited.

One of the largest global contract caterers, Compass Group, has signed up to meet the new welfare standards for chickens, in Europe by 2026, and in the US by 2024.

Elior Group has committed to using only higher welfare chicken GLOBALLY by 2026.

Sodexo has committed to source 100% of its chicken meat across all of their European operations, by 2026, and in the US by 2024.

World leader in infant nutrition, Danone has committed to improve broiler welfare across their entire European supply chain by 2026.

By 2026, Aramark will require all of its European suppliers to meet the new requirements for 100% of their fresh, frozen, and processed chicken, extending its US commitment for the humane treatment of broilers chickens.

Monoprix is the first French retailer to sign up to the European Chicken Commitment and aims to meet the criteria for their own-label fresh chicken, ahead of schedule, by 2024.

Intermarché is the 3rd largest retailer in France with 15% market share. They have pledged to meet the higher welfare requirements for their Intermarché and Netto stores, across all fresh, frozen and processed chicken (containing over 50% of chicken meat) by 2026.

Auchan is the 6th largest retailer in France with 10% market share and has committed to introduce the new higher welfare requirements for their fresh, frozen and processed chicken (containing over 50% of chicken meat) by 2026.

French restaurant chain Flunch, which serves 54 million meals a year, has announced that all its restaurants in France will use chicken that meets the requirements of the European Chicken Commitment by 2026.

Système U, the 5th largest retailer in France, has pledged to meet the higher welfare requirements of the European Chicken Commitment for all their own brand fresh, frozen and processed products (containing more than 50% chicken) by 2026.

API Restauration, the fourth largest catering company in France has signed up to meet the ECC criteria by 2026.

Sodebo, the No.1 manufacturer of ready meals and sandwiches in France, (with around 13% market share for their own brands) signed up to the European Chicken Commitment in November 2019.

Casino Group has pledged to meet the new higher welfare requirements across all their own label fresh, frozen and processed chicken (containing more than 50% chicken) by 2026.

French retailer Carrefour has committed to ensuring all its own label products containing more than 50% chicken will meet the Better Chicken criteria by 2026 at the latest.

High street Japanese food chain, YO! Sushi signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in January 2020.

Global meal kit provider HelloFresh joined the industry move for higher welfare chicken in May 2020.

Contract caterer CH&CO has committed to meet all the standards set out in the European Chicken Commitment for 100% of the chicken in its UK and Ireland supply chains, by 2026.

Norwegian supermarket chain REMA 1000 Norge AS has successfully implemented the higher welfare requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment working closely with its chicken producer Norsk Kylling. Read the case study here.

Norwegian chicken producer Norsk Kylling produces chicken for REMA 1000 and signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment as part of their partnership. Read the case study here.

French retailer Franprix signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in February 2020.

Bertrand Restauration is part of the Betrand Group – one of the leading catering groups in France – and joined the Better Chicken Commitment in May 2020.

In July 2020, Nando’s formally released their public commitment to raise chicken standards across their UK and Ireland supply chains.

Pizza Express joined the growing number of companies in the restaurant sector to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment in July 2020.

High street bakery chain Greggs signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in August 2020 to further strengthen their animal welfare credentials. 

Fleury Michon the leading manufacturer and distributor of pork and poultry delicatessen products in France signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in September 2020.

Leading French supermarket chain E.Leclerc, which holds 21.4% of the retail market in France, signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment in September 2020.

Groupe Holder who owns the popular PAUL and Ladurée brands announced it’s Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) in September 2020.

Meal kit retailer Gousto signed up to the BCC at the end of September 2020.

French retailer Schiever announced its renewed commitment to improve the welfare of broilers in its supply in October 2020.

FOOD BUSINESSES
What can you do to improve the lives of the chickens in your supply chain?

FIND OUT MORE

+44 (0)1483 521 953 

Email us

Registered Office:
Compassion in World Farming,
River Court, Mill Lane
Godalming
Surrey GU7 1EZ
United Kingdom
2021 Better Chicken
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