Law broken every day on Britain’s chicken farms

Sadly, this is happening right now to the 3.1 million chickens transported to slaughter each day in the UK.

Transport to slaughter is one of the most stressful times in the life of a farmed animal. They are being moved into new environments with unfamiliar noises, sights and smells, and they are likely to come into contact with humans.

For chickens, additional distress comes from the way they are caught.

How are chickens caught and why is it a problem?

Chickens in the UK are most often caught and carried by their legs, upside down. This seems bad enough, but it gets worse. Chickens don’t have a diaphragm like us, so being carried upside down causes their internal organs to crush their lungs.

On top of that, intensively reared chickens have very fragile legs and joints. Depending on what they are being raised for - meat or eggs - they suffer from health conditions from the way they are intensively bred.

The good news and the bad news

The good news is that chickens are protected by law. The legislation states that animals should not be lifted or handled in a way as to cause them unnecessary suffering.

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The Upright Catching Method is common sense. It’s how the public would want and expect animals to be handled, and how anyone with a pet chicken would pick them up.

~ Nicola Glen, UK Inspector for Eyes on Animals.

We hope that those with the power to enforce this law rethink their position. If legislation can just be ignored by the industries responsible for vulnerable lives, where does this stop?

Update February 2024

In February 2024 the Government's Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) recommended the carrying of chickens by their legs, despite acknowledging it to be a “welfare compromise” that can cause “pain, discomfort and breathing difficulty” leading to distress and injuries such as fractures and dislocations.

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“Rather than encouraging farmers to give their chickens the small dignity of responsible handling when they are dragged off to slaughter, the animal welfare committee has suggested legalising cruel leg-holding and slashing important standards which are already ignored. I am frankly appalled. Chickens are sensitive animals who deserve respectful treatment and should not be hauled around like objects.” ~ Cordelia Britton, Head of Programmes

At the time the UK left the EU in 2020, the Goverment promised not to dilute standards and claimed that the UK would use its freedom to improve welfare standards.

However, this is the first open suggestion of removing an EU animal welfare protection.

Update October 2024

The Labour Government has confirmed plans to legalise the cruel practice of carrying of chickens by the legs, despite viable alternative options. It's clear that the government does not want to have to enforce the law, so instead it is rolling back hard-won legal protections.

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“This outrageous decision by the government will ensure that millions of animals continue to needlessly suffer and is completely at odds with Labour’s pledge to introduce the biggest boost in animal welfare for a generation.” ~ Sean Gifford, Humane League UK Executive Director

What’s next?

We are often said to be a nation of animal lovers. We cannot allow our welfare standards to slip further. We'll continue to put pressure on the Government and companies to ensure a better future for the animals we love.

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