Chickens Deserve Better

Billions of Frankenchickens left to suffer after court rule.

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High Court rules that Defra hasn’t behaved unlawfully in our legal challenge on behalf of chickens.

Lame broiler chicken in crowded shed, terrible conditions and appears to look sad
Andrew Skowron/Hidden/We Animals Media

Two weeks ago we argued in court that chickens raised for meat were suffering as a result of their breeding, contrary to the law which states that animals cannot be kept for farming purposes if their genetics cause health and welfare problems. The results are in…and it’s not good news.

Around one billion of the UK’s chickens raised for meat each year are fast-growing breeds. These animals grow so big, extremely quickly, to make as much meat as possible. As a result they suffer from lameness, heart attacks, organ failure, and burns to their skin. To us, it’s clear that their genetics lead to suffering. That’s why we took the Government to court to argue that Frankenchickens are illegal.

There is an animal welfare crisis at the heart of British farming. Fast growing ‘Frankenchickens’ lead utterly miserable lives, and we think the legal system is failing them entirely.

~ Sean Gifford, Managing Director of The Humane League UK

We were joined by the RSPCA, who provided expert testimony that fast-growing chickens do not have ‘a life worth living’.

Defra claimed there was no scientific consensus that fast-growing breeds suffer detriment to their health or welfare in all environments, despite evidence from the RSPCA’s report. They offered no evidence to contradict this report and even accepted that there are welfare problems with fast-growing breeds of chicken.

Despite this, we lost the case.

This case was an opportunity to show that the minimum standards that exist to protect farmed animals mean something in practice. We believe that the existing law is aimed at safeguarding animals from having their genetic makeup manipulated in a way that favours profit over welfare. Despite this, we have a situation where 1 billion chickens per year have been selectively bred in a way that does exactly that. If the Government is not responsible for regulating this standard industry practice then who is?

~ Edie Bowles, co-founder and Managing Director of Advocates for Animals

Although we lost the case, we’ve gained momentum. An onslaught of media coverage around the case has brought the plight of chickens in the UK to public attention. We know that people don’t want animals to suffer. Only a few days ago, 96% of Co-op members voted to stop using fast-growing breeds. The tide is turning, and both companies and the Government need to change.

What happens next?

Despite today’s news, we will continue our fight to get justice for chickens. In the short term, we’ll consider all our options, including lodging an appeal against this verdict. We know we’re on the right side of history, and we won't give up on the chickens that are suffering.

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