Now, a legal challenge has been launched by The Humane League in an attempt to improve the lives of these birds and ensure their welfare is protected. Around 90% of the one billion birds raised for meat in the UK – known as ‘frankenchickens’ – go from egg to slaughter in just 35 days, a process that is four times faster than chickens would normally grow.
This unnatural pace results in birds gaining around 100g of weight per day, which leaves them with numerous health conditions, and many suffer short and painful lives.
Moreover, 70% of these ‘broiler chickens’ die before making it to the slaughterhouse due to the conditions in which they are kept. The Humane League argues that the growth of ‘frankenchickens’ contravenes welfare of farmed animals regulations.
Regulations state that animals can be kept for farming purposes if it does not have a detrimental effect on their health or welfare.
The legal challenge implies that the government’s legislation has led to the poor treatment of animals, while the animal rights charity says that the growth of frankenchickens breaches welfare regulations.
However, the government agency Defra argues that it has no policy that permits the use of frankenchickens. TV personalities, writers and naturalists have come out in support of this legal challenge. Various charities have campaigned to end the use of fast-growing frankenchickens, and many food companies, including KFC and Waitrose, have committed to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
The BCC demands slower-growing breeds, natural light and enrichment, more space, less painful slaughter methods, and third-party auditing.
Although Defra argues that fast-growing chicken breeds are not condemned to suffer health issues and that there is no scientific agreement to say so, The Humane League’s legal battle hopes to change how chickens are bred in the UK to provide them with the respect and compassion they deserve.
The legal challenge could result in an alteration to welfare regulations and improve the lives of countless cheap supermarket chickens.
