DEFRA Acts on Chicken Welfare – More room for broiler chickens

DEFRA has announced that chickens that are reared for meat in the UK (known as broiler chickens) must be stocked at the 2007 EU Directives lowest suggested density.

The 2007 EU Directive on the welfare of meat chickens (broilers) provides a maximum stocking density of 33 kilogrammes per square metre (approx 16 chickens) but gives Member States a discretion to permit the higher density of 42 kilogrammes per square metre (about 21 chickens) . 

DEFRA have announced that the maximum permitted stocking density for broiler chickens will be 39 kilogrammes per square metre, and that they will not permit the higher density of 42 kilogrammes per square metre.

Each year over 5 billion meat chickens are reared in the EU (800 million per year of them in the UK); this makes them by far the most numerous of all farmed species. Until recently they remained largely unprotected by the law on-farm.

In 2007, the EU Agriculture Council agreed the Broilers Directive, a Council Directive laying down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production (commonly known as broiler chickens).

Compassion in World Farming believes that this is a courageous decision by the Coalition Government and is pleased that they have stuck to their Coalition Programme promise to promote high standards of farm animal welfare. (The Coalition: our programme for government- page 18)

Peter Stevenson, Chief Policy Advisor at Compassion in World Farming said, DEFRA have made a positive decision for farm animal welfare. We believe this is a step in the right direction for broiler chickens.  However, even though DEFRA has opted for the lower of the two densities under consideration, we believe that the permitted density is far too high as it allows chickens to be kept in conditions too crowded to meet their basic welfare needs.

We would eventually like to see all chickens farmed in higher welfare conditions either free range or, to RSPCA Freedom Food standards where the maximum permitted stocking density is 30 kilogrammes per square metre. Now its down to the industry and consumers to further drive that change. Consumers looking for higher welfare chicken have grown sales by 22% in the last year whereas sales of standard chicken have remained at only 0.1% year on year.

1. The broiler directive has three steps of welfare regulations . The first step sets demands on drinkers, litter, ventilation and heating, noise emissions, air quality and hygiene. Maximum number of broilers is set to 33 kg live weight per square metre.
2. Farmers who take additional measures are allowed to increase the density level to 39 kg per square metre. In England, producers have to report the increased occupancy to Defra.
3. A further increase to 42 kg per square metre is possible if the farmer fulfils additional conditions regarding mortality levels. Defra will not allow producers in England this third step

4. The broiler directive has three steps of welfare regulations. The first step sets demands on drinkers, litter, ventilation and heating, noise emissions, air quality and hygiene. Maximum number of broilers is set to 33 kg live weight per square metre.
5. Farmers who take additional measures are allowed to increase the density level to 39 kg per square metre. They have to report the increased occupancy to Defra.
6. The Directive’s principal flaws

It is widely recognised that two core problems bedevil the intensive broiler industry:
Serious overcrowding and the use of fast-growing breeds which are susceptible to high levels of lameness and to heart disease. The Directive does nothing to tackle the use of fast growing breeds.
Overcrowding

Intensively reared broilers are kept in huge windowless sheds that are so overcrowded that, as the birds grow bigger, one can barely see the floor so thickly is it ‘carpeted’ with chickens. Up to 50,000 chickens may be crammed into one of these sheds. The birds never see daylight or enjoy fresh air.

The EU Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare concluded that “above 30kg/m [up to 15 chickens/m], even with very good environmental control systems, there is a steep rise in the frequency of serious problems.”