Back in 1950, chicken was eaten as a treat; British people ate less than a kilo in a whole year. Now, we eat on average 25kg in a year – thats more than 2 kg per month.
What is it you’re looking for?
- Farm animals
- Chickens
- Meat chickens
In 1950s Britain, chicken was considered a luxury food, with fewer than one kilogram consumed annually. We currently consume more than 2 kg of food per month, or an average of 25 kg annually.
Why are they called broiler chickens?
Because of their young age and more tender flesh, broiler chickens, also known as “broiler-fryers,” originally got their name from a common method of meat preparation. A chicken that is killed later in life may be referred to as a “roaster.” .
The reality for Modern broiler chicken farmers are often locked into predatory contracts with large corporations, competing against other farmers to produce the heaviest chickens with the least amount of feed. The farmers that dont come out on top often struggle to get by, as the corporations require increasingly expensive upgrades to the farm facilities. Much of the poultry industry is run as a tournament system, where producers compete against their neighbors and pay is based in part on how much you produce compared to others in your area. This system has left many chicken farmers deeply in debt and has been widely criticized by farmers as predatory.
Inside the intensive chicken shed
Broiler sheds are typically empty with the exception of food and water stations and lack natural light. Litter is placed on the floor to collect droppings, but it isn’t cleared until the chickens are taken out of the shed to be killed.
Because of the droppings, the air can become extremely polluted with ammonia. This may harm the hens’ eyes, respiratory systems, and result in excruciating burns to their feet, chests, and legs (known as hock burns).
A broiler chicken with feather loss and severe skin irritation
Unlike in the wild, hens kept in these desolate sheds are unable to modify their surroundings to avoid heat, cold, or dirt.
The sheds can get extremely hot inside, especially during the summer. Heat stress could kill thousands of birds if the ventilation system malfunctions.
Over the past few decades, intensively raised chickens have been bred to grow very quickly. However, this higher growth rate comes with significant welfare costs. Because their legs are weak to support their heavy body weights and because many of them have painful leg disorders, they lie down a lot.
Their quick development strains their hearts and lungs, and they become exhausted and lack energy for exercise. Compared to slower-growing varieties, broilers that grow quickly spend more time sitting and eating and less time engaging in natural behaviors like walking, pecking, scratching the litter, and perching. Every year, millions of chickens suffer heart attacks in their sheds in the UK alone.
This footage shows potentially upsetting scenes of animal suffering. Undercover footage of a lame chicken. Because their bones don’t grow quickly enough to support their bodies’ weight, chickens bred for rapid growth frequently develop leg deformities.
Each shed has the capacity to house tens of thousands of birds. Depending on their weight at slaughter, the 2007 EU Directive on broiler chickens permits the equivalent of about 19 birds per square meter. This indicates that the floor area of each bird is less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
Broiler chickens in a crowded shed
Overcrowding in sheds leaves little room for exercise and causes disturbances or tripping when the chickens are sleeping. They get smaller and smaller as they get bigger, making it harder for them to get food and water if they are weak. Additionally, more air pollution, more heat stress, and foul litter are likely results of crowding.
FAQ
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