Morrisons Gives Chickens More Space

Morrisons’ ‘fresh’ range chickens will be given the space requirements of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). The amount of space each bird has is a crucial factor in their welfare, with more space associated with lower rates of fear, stress, and early death.

While the legal maximum is around 17 birds per square metre when they are considered fully-grown, Morrisons will reduce this down to around 14 birds per square metre. This incremental change will reduce some of the birds' suffering. It is a good step in the right direction.

The Humane League UK, alongside our friends at Open Cages, have been calling on Morrisons to adopt the full BCC since 2021. Now, in 2024, they have agreed to give their chickens more room, the same amount of room as provided by the BCC. Our years of campaigning contributed to this decision, so we thank you all for your tireless support.

Morrisons now joins the likes of Co-op and Sainsbury’s, who are also giving chickens more space.

However, crucially the breed of the birds has not changed. They are still using Frankenchickens, whose genetics plague the animals with lameness, deformities and early deaths - a lifetime of unavoidable suffering. The BCC was designed by animal welfare experts, and their view (and our own) is that changing the breed is fundamental to reforming the cruelty of factory farming. Furthermore, this is only applies for the chickens reared for Morrisons' 'fresh' range, and not chickens used for frozen food or as ingredients.

So this is not the end of the road. Achieving justice for chickens requires more, and we will keep working to get there. However, in the meantime, we can celebrate this concrete step, as we edge towards making the lives of billions of chickens better in the UK forever.