Next week we’re back in court against the Government in an appeal that could revolutionise British farming.
Frankenchickens account for around 90% of the 1.1 billion chickens slaughtered for meat per year in the UK. Their intensive selective breeding means they grow too big, too fast, causing health and welfare issues that lead these animals to suffer.
It’s not just cruel. We're arguing that it's illegal.
Farming Frankenchickens breaches the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007, which states farmed animals can’t be kept if their genes cause them suffering.
But there is clear and growing evidence that Frankenchicken suffer as a result of their breed. From RSPCA reports to investigations into factory farms, these animals have been shown often to struggle to even walk, meaning that they are forced to sit in their own waste, which burns their skin. These ‘hock burns’ can even be seen on the chicken meat in supermarkets.
In fact, over 1.5 million of these chickens die before slaughter on UK farms every week. Frankenchickens also require up to nine times more antibiotics than slower-growing breeds, contributing to the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Scientific papers prove that fast-growing breeds are suffering more than slower-growing birds. The law is clear; farming animals who suffer detriment to their well being because of their genes is unlawful, yet the Government has created a system which permits these Frankenchickens to be used. This has to change- the lives and legal protections of so many animals are at stake.
~ Edie Bowles, Managing Director for Advocates for Animals
So, represented by our lawyers, Advocates for Animals, who are the UK’s first animal law firm, we will be back in court next week for the culmination of a four year battle against the Government.
We are up against huge opposition. The Government will be joined by the British Poultry Council and National Farmers’ Union, representing the interests of the £3 billion poultry industry. It really is a David versus Goliath moment.
Here’s the story so far.
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