Chicken welfare comparison

Comfortable environment

RSPCA Assured position: Litter must be clean and dry, with an average minimum depth of 5cm.

Red Tractor position: Litter must be clean and dry, with an average minimum depth of 2cm.

Why it matters

Clean and dry litter of a sufficient depth has been shown to reduce incidences of hock burn and other leg health issues which can cause discomfort, pain and suffering. Poor quality litter can also impact air quality, which can contribute to respiratory problems for both the chickens and workers.

Treatment before and during slaughter

RSPCA Assured position: No bird must be deprived of food for more than 10 hours prior to slaughter. The maximum permitted time from the first bird being loaded onto the truck for transport from the farm, to the final bird being slaughtered at the abattoir is 8 hours. Birds are killed by gas, which reduces manual handling, avoids the need to invert and shackle live birds and provides a more consistent killing process.

Red Tractor position: No bird must be deprived of food for more than 9 hours prior to catching. The maximum permitted time from the first bird being loaded onto the truck for transport from the farm, to the final bird being slaughtered at the abattoir is 12 hours. Water bath stunning is permitted, which includes shackling and inversion of conscious birds.

Why it matters

Many chickens experience long transport times without food and water which can contribute to the risk of injury or health problems, such as heat exhaustion. This can even lead to an increased chance of the birds dying before they reach the abattoir.

During water bath stunning, conscious birds are shackled and inverted prior to entry into an electrified water bath, where current is passed from the head, through the body and legs to earth via stainless steel shackles. Inversion causes stress, whilst shackling can cause injuries, such as fractures, bruises and dislocations. With water bath stunning there is a high risk of painful pre-electric shocks because the wings may touch the electric water bath before the birds’ heads. In addition, a significant proportion of the birds may end up not being adequately stunned, as the current is not distributed well due to differences in resistance between birds. Gas killing avoids these issues; the birds are not handled prior to death as they enter the gas killing system in their transport crates.

Encouraging natural behaviours

RSPCA Assured position: For every 1,000 birds: 1.5 straw bales, 2m of perch space, and one destructible pecking object, e.g. peck-a-blocks, brassicas (e.g. cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, broccoli), hanging wooden blocks.

Red Tractor position: For every 1,000 birds: 1 bale, 2m of perch space, and one pecking object.

Why it matters
Chickens are intelligent and naturally inquisitive birds. They need perches as well as objects such as straw bales and vegetables to peck at to help keep them active and healthy. The instinct to forage, scratch and peck is very strong for chickens and destructible materials enable them to carry out this behaviour by seeking out food and manipulating the material.

Space to move freely

RSPCA Assured position: 15 birds per square metre. Planned stocking densities must not exceed 30kg/m2 for indoor broilers. Flock thinning is not permitted.

Red Tractor position: 19 birds per square metre. Planned stocking densities must not exceed 38kg/m2. Thinning is permitted once per flock.

Why it matters

Not having enough space makes it more difficult for birds to stretch, spread their wings and walk around freely. Chickens farmed at higher stocking densities are at greater risk of suffering leg lesions, hock burn and foot-pad burn.

The thinning process involves rearing birds to the maximum stocking density and then removing a proportion of them to lower the density. Studies have shown that thinning is associated with an increased average gait score (i.e. an increase in leg health problems). Thinning is known to cause stress and has been reported to double the risk of infection of campylobacter in those birds remaining in the house after catching.

Natural light cycles

RSPCA Assured position: Birds must have access to light at all times during the natural daylight period, followed by 6 hours of continuous darkness at night-time to allow them to rest. The natural light openings in the house must correspond to at least 3.0% of the total floor area of the house.

Red Tractor position: Red Tractor requires 6 hours of darkness at night (only 4 of which must be continuous). It is recommended (but not required) for natural light openings in the house should correspond to at least 1.0% of the total floor area of the house.

Why it matters

The drive for a shorter dark period is an economic one; the longer the lights are on, the longer the period birds will be feeding, and therefore the faster the growth rate. It is important that birds are given sufficient dark periods in order to rest. Shorter dark periods have been shown to be significantly associated with poorer leg health

Chickens have well-developed colour vision. A report by the Scientific Committee for Animal Health and Animal Welfare (2000) concluded that brighter lighting is important to stimulate activity, which can help reduce the incidence of leg disorders and contact dermatitis, such as hock and foot pad burn.

Genetically faster-growing breeds

RSPCA Assured position: RSPCA Assured never allows the use of genetically faster-growing, lower welfare chickens which are more likely to suffer health and welfare problems. Only breeds that have been independently assessed against the RSPCA Broiler Welfare Assessment Protocol are permitted.

Red Tractor position: The law states that no animals shall be kept for farming purposes unless it can reasonably be expected that they can be kept without detrimental effect on their health or welfare, there are currently no laws around the use of faster-growing breeds. Red Tractor permits their use.

Why it matters

Most meat chickens have been genetically selected to grow very quickly and can reach the average UK slaughter weight of 2.2kg in just 35 days after hatching. Rapid growth rates are more likely to result in health problems such as leg disorders and heart failure. Research shows many (approx. 30%) are unable to walk properly. According to a CIWF study; "slower-growing chickens are 3 times less likely to need antibiotics as those bred to grow faster".

Welfare monitoring

RSPCA Assured position: Annual welfare outcome assessments carried out by RSPCA Assured assessors are required to monitor the health and welfare of the flock.

Red Tractor position: Welfare outcome assessments are not required.

Why it matters

Welfare outcome assessments (WOAs) are a practical and scientifically informed way of measuring animal welfare by looking at animals’ health, physical condition and behaviour. The results of WOAs are used to help identify specific welfare issues, but they also provide insights about farms that are doing well and provide data on the welfare impact of different farming systems.