THL
Millions of birds are killed annually in the United Kingdom alone. We explore whether these animals are slaughtered humanely.
Millions of birds are killed annually to feed the United Kingdom’s appetite for chicken, but there is a hope and an expectation from the public that these animals are raised and slaughtered humanely. Sadly, with the vast majority of animals raised for food confined to factory farms, this often isn’t the case.
How many chickens are killed each year
In the UK, over a billion chickens are killed every year, or 287,000 chickens every day. Globally, that number jumps to 70 billion chickens annually.
What is life like for chickens on factory farms?
Though different types of chickens are raised for eggs and meat, they all share one experience: suffering. Undercover investigations have revealed that chickens suffer immensely on factory farms. Researchers have also established that chickens on factory farms endure bone breaks, heart problems, and other welfare issues.
Inhumane treatment
Chickens are often subjected to inhumane treatment at every stage of life. For example, workers were recently recorded abusing end-of-lay chickens - those no longer laying enough eggs to be profitable - while collecting them for slaughter.
Forced moulting
Forced moulting is a common practice within the egg industry and involves withholding food, water, and even light in order to compel birds to moult. The purpose is to encourage chickens to lay larger eggs at an increased rate, which typically occurs after moulting.
Debeaking chicks
Chicken farms are often overcrowded, leading to stress for the birds. To prevent birds from hurting one another, it’s routine practice to remove the tip of chicks’ sensitive beaks.
Confinement in cages
While traditional battery cages are banned in the UK, so-called enriched cages are still widely used. These cages represent only a minor improvement over traditional battery cages, as they offer a perch and small scratch pad. Birds in these cages still don’t have enough space to even flap their wings.
Genetic selection
Broiler chickens - those raised for meat - are a prime example of the genetic selection used within animal farming. Over multiple generations, these birds have been bred to grow so quickly that their organs and legs are unable to support their weight. As a result, broiler chickens are often unable to walk or even stand, and can suffer from heart attacks.
Light manipulation
Chickens on egg farms are heavily influenced by light. When days are longer during the warm summer months, for instance, they lay more eggs. Knowing this, producers will keep the lights on inside chicken barns for extended periods of time year round, causing hens to continuously lay a high number of eggs.
High ammonia levels
On factory farms, chickens essentially live in their own waste, as litter is not often changed. That waste then releases ammonia that can cause painful burns.
A recent investigation revealed that over 30% of Co-op and Aldi’s poultry showed evidence of hock burns.
What are the different methods of chicken slaughter?
Most chickens are slaughtered for human consumption and for pet food. However, over the last few years, millions have also been killed to prevent the spread of avian (bird) flu. How a chicken is slaughtered can differ depending on the reason why they are being killed.
In the UK, the most common method for killing chickens is with the use of gas. However, the country does allow the importation of products from chickens killed using other methods, including live shackling. How do these methods differ?
Controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS)
Controlled atmosphere stunning involves the use of gas to first stun and then slaughter the birds. This method is thought to cause less suffering than most other methods and is the most common method of slaughter in the UK.
Live shackle
In live shackle systems, birds are hung upside down by their legs in shackles. This is a painful process that can cause already-injured legs to crack and sometimes fully separate from birds’ bodies. Shackled birds are then run through water that is electrified, to render them unconscious. This method can be ineffective, however, as birds can avoid the electrified water intended to stun them, leading them to be killed while conscious.
Investigations have repeatedly documented that chickens slaughtered via live shackling can be fully conscious when they have their throats slit - or dodge the blades altogether, meaning they are instead boiled alive.
Even though live shackle slaughter is losing popularity in the UK, in 2022, $1.86 billion in poultry meat was imported into the country, and there are no rules pertaining to the welfare of those chickens - a fact that has faced backlash from British producers.
Religious slaughter
Jhatka is a type of religious slaughter within the Sikh religion that involves chickens being killed using a single strike. Other religious slaughter practices, Halal and Kosher, are exempt from UK law stating that animals must be stunned pre-slaughter although it should be note that, according to the RSPCA, 65% of halal meat in the UK comes from stunned animals.
Culling
Since the COVID19 pandemic and throughout the ongoing avian flu outbreak, mass on-farm slaughter - called “culling” by the industry - has become commonplace, claiming the lives of millions of chickens.
There are six different methods allowed for culling chickens on farms: cervical dislocation (neck breaking), lethal blow with a stun gun, electrocution, gas, injection, or death by gunshot. Of these methods, gas is the most widely used for large-scale culls, such as those attributable to avian flu. Cervical dislocation is common when a small number of birds are culled.
But it’s not only animals who suffer due to culling; so too can the farmers and staff who kill them.
According to a 2023 report, there exists a lack of mental health support for the people who cull animals on farms, as they carry the burden of death silently. An analysis of South Korean farmers for example, found that 74.5% had PTSD from their participation in culls.
Do chickens feel pain when slaughtered
During the live shackle process, chickens can endure pain while being hung upside down by their legs. Those who are not stunned properly can also suffer immensely when their throats are slit, or if they reach the boiling tank while still conscious.
When gas is used, birds’ reactions depend on the different gas mixtures used. Carbon dioxide has been shown to be detectable by chickens and therefore cause more aversion than inert gases like nitrogen or argon. High levels of CO2 (above 40%) during gassing are therefore banned in the EU.
Can chickens be slaughtered humanely?
While we campaign for an end to the abuse of animals raised for food, we understand that, for as long as humans continue to eat animal products, we must fight to protect their welfare, throughout their lives and at time of slaughter.
Gassing of chickens is currently the most humane method of slaughter we have in the UK.
What are alternatives to chicken slaughter?
Many delicious plant-based options are now available for use in sandwiches and salads, or in place of nuggets, wings, or other popular meals.
Cultivated meat - meat grown in a lab from a few cells - could also be hitting the market soon, further expanding slaughter-free options.
The bottom line
There’s no getting away from the fact that millions of chickens are suffering, from the moment of their hatching to the time they are killed. The most impactful thing you can do to create individual change is to leave animals off your plates. It’s as easy as ordering a veggie burger instead of a chicken burger. Give it a try!
If you’d like to get involved in helping us change the world for chickens, sign up to receive our emails. You’ll receive updates on our campaigns as well as quick, easy actions you can take to make a difference for animals suffering on factory farms.
