How many chickens live in the UK and what are they used for?

Every year more than a billion chickens cycle through factory farms in the UK, raised for their eggs, breasts, wings, and thighs.

But contrary to what many advertisers would have us believe, most of these animals do not live on rolling green fields in the brilliant sunshine. Instead, most exist in windowless warehouses, many unable to stand and suffering from health issues caused by intensive farming.

While it’s a tragedy when even one being suffers needlessly, in the UK we cause the suffering of billions.

“

In the time it takes you to read this sentence 9,200 chickens were killed.

During their short lives, chickens on factory farms endure painful, chronic health conditions which are the result of an industry that prioritises production over welfare.

The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) outlines alternative standards that would eliminate the worst suffering experienced by millions of chickens in the UK at any given moment. The criteria includes lower stocking densities to help combat stressful overcrowding on farms, as well utilising different breeds that grow more slowly, and thus suffer fewer health problems.

How long do chickens live?

The oldest recorded domestic chicken was Muffy, who lived 23 years. Though most chickens don’t reach Muffy’s impressive age, they can live - and lay eggs - for 10 years or more. Unfortunately, chickens in the UK rarely get the chance.

Egg-laying hens live for around a year and a half to two years before being slaughtered due to slowed egg production. They are then replaced by younger, more productive hens and the cycle continues.

Meanwhile, broiler chickens - those raised for meat - are typically killed at just 42 days, or six weeks old.

How many chickens are in the world?

In 2021, nearly 74 billion chickens were slaughtered for meat around the world, while another 8.3 billion hens were raised for eggs. Globally, chickens outnumber humans approximately 10 to 1.

Where are chickens mostly found?

Chickens are the most farmed land animals on earth, with the vast majority spending their lives on factory farms regardless of the country. While China produces the most eggs, it also - along with the US and Brazil - produces the greatest amount of chicken meat, of which demand is projected to increase through 2030 and beyond.

How many chickens are in the UK?

In just the month of January, 2022, 123.9 million broiler and layer chicks were hatched and shipped to farms across the UK. Of that, 120.9 million broiler chicks were slaughtered at just six weeks old, only to be quickly replaced by a new batch of baby birds. More than 1.1 billion chickens were part of the UK cycle of commercial meat and egg production that same year.

How many chickens are kept as pets in the UK?

In the UK, anyone can keep up to 49 chickens without having to register with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Those with fewer birds are encouraged to register in order to stay up to date with disease outbreaks, but due to lax registration requirements exact numbers for backyards hens are not known. A 2020 survey found that 1.3 million households in the UK owned at least one chicken.

How many chickens are killed per day worldwide?

Each day 202 million chickens are killed globally. That’s 8.4 million every hour, 140,000 every minute, and 2,300 per second. In the time it took you to read this sentence 9,200 chickens lost their lives.

What are the most popular chicken breeds?

The majority of chickens spend their lives on factory farms. These birds are bred specifically to excel at either quickly gaining weight, such as the Cobb 500 broiler chicken, or laying lots of eggs, like the Ross 308.

Companies that 'own' these breeds have come under fire for sacrificing welfare in the name of efficiency, and there is now a growing movement pushing farmers to move away from high production breeds, toward slower growth chickens.

Some of these alternative chickens are heritage breeds - many of which were recently at risk of extinction. These breeds do tend to have higher welfare, attributable to their slower growth rates and greater genetic diversity. Here are a few of the most popular among backyard enthusiasts:

Australorp

Australorps - an offshoot of the Orpington chickens popular in Europe - were once valued by Australians for their egg laying abilities. In a backyard, these hens can lay over 200 eggs per year, making them very popular among hobbyists. Both hens and roosters are a striking black colour and are known to be docile companions.

Orpington

Named after the town in which they first appeared, Orpington chickens were bred to both lay a large number of eggs, as well as fit British preferences for meat. Until 2016, this breed was considered endangered.

Plymouth Rock

First appearing in Massachusetts, Plymouth Rock chickens were valued both for their egg laying abilities - topping 200 eggs per year - and for their meat, as they reach maturity in as few as eight weeks. As industrial farms took hold across the US in the 1920s, Plymouth Rock chickens could be found among many of them.

Brahma

During the mid-1800’s, the US and Europe experienced “hen fever,” when keeping chickens became increasingly popular. Brahmas were one of the breeds that sparked the initial mania.

A strikingly large bird with feathered legs and feet, the birds’ ancestors were exported from China. Maturing relatively slowly, they were one of the most popular chickens to raise for meat for roughly 70 years.

Sussex

Despite originally being traced all the way back to the Roman Empire, the Sussex chickens as they are known today only first appeared about a hundred years ago.

Due to cross breeding, the Sussex almost went extinct in the 1900s, before then recovering due to being valued for their meat. Today, the birds are popular for backyard flocks thanks to their curious and friendly nature.

How many breeds of chickens are there in the world?

There are 93 distinct breeds of chicken recognised by British Poultry Standards, including those listed above. Other breeds include the Rhode Island Red, and rare varieties like Yokohamas, which have strikingly long tail feathers and are kept mostly as ornamental birds.

Notably, the various types of chickens kept on factory farms today did not make the list of recognised breeds.

UK per capita egg consumption

Egg consumption has been trending upward in the UK for more than a decade. As of 2022, the average person was eating 188 eggs yearly. Of those, 28% were laid by hens in cages, 65% by free range chickens, and 7% by chickens in barns.

UK per capita chicken meat consumption

Chicken is the most popular meat in the UK, easily outpacing beef, veal, pork, and lamb. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, consumers in the UK eat 30.5 kgs of poultry meat per capita, and that number is not expected to change much through 2029.

The bottom line

The vast majority of chickens in the UK spend their lives on factory farms where they suffer from overcrowding, chronic medical problems, and even aggression from other suffering birds. We’re working to change that.

That’s why we’re placing pressure on decision makers to implement systemic change within poultry farms, already convincing KFC, Pizza Hut, and dozens of other companies to sign onto the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) - standards that eliminate the worst suffering of broiler chickens.

But we’ve still got a long way to go. Join us and change the lives of animals raised for food.