Focusing on farm animals

The RSPCA is calling on shoppers to help it make a huge difference to the lives of the more than 900 million farm animals in the UK.

Just a small change in the weekly shop could help improve conditions for so many animals like pigs and chickens reared for meat, dairy cows and hens which lay eggs.

The RSPCA is today pledging to increase the proportion of farm animals reared under higher welfare conditions.

Dr Julia Wrathall head of the RSPCA’s farm animals science team said: “Some people might be surprised the RSPCA is focusing on this area but in fact the charity was founded more than 180-years-ago specifically because of concerns about the welfare of farm animals and that work continues today.

“More than 900 million farm animals reared in the UK every year, about 56 times the number of pet cats and dogs, so even a small improvement in the way livestock is kept can have a huge impact.

“The RSPCA does not believe welfare laws are good enough to ensure all farm animals have a good quality of life and are humanely transported and slaughtered. That is why we have developed our own farm animal welfare standards, informed by scientific research and practical experience, which thousands of farmers, livestock hauliers and abattoirs have signed up to through the Freedom Food assurance scheme.”

Legal farming practices can result in serious welfare problems including:

Injuries to animals being kept on bare concrete or slatted floors

Genetically selected fast growing breeds of meat chickens can suffer lameness, leg deformities and heart failure

Hens being kept in so-called ‘enriched’ battery cages with less usable space than an A4 sheet of paper each

Dr Wrathall added: “When shopping for products such as eggs, sausages and chicken, anyone who cares about animals can help by choosing those that have the Freedom Food logo on them which means they come from farms inspected to the RSPCA’s strict animal welfare standards.”

Over the past five years the numbers of animals on farms inspected to the RSPCA’s strict welfare standards under the Freedom Food scheme has increased by more than 50 per cent* and we will work hard over the next five years to continue that increase.

*See story on Freedom Food

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