Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the welfare of chickens.
The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and I know my ministerial colleagues are committed to further improving the welfare of all animals.
I am aware of concerns about the welfare of chickens, especially those which are known as ‘fast-growing breeds’. I understand that over 300 retailers and firms in the UK and Europe have signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, which emphasises the importance of slower-growing breeds, lower stocking densities and restrictions on thinning birds and would contribute to improved health and welfare outcomes. You can read more about the Better Chicken Commitment at their website here: The Better Chicken Commitment - BCC [UK].
I am pleased that around 60 per cent of our hens are now kept in free-range systems, and a number of major supermarkets have pledged to stop selling eggs from the remaining 40 per cent of hens in colony cages by 2025. I am told that Ministers will continue to work with the poultry industry on improving feather cover and keel bone health, as well as reducing the practice of beak trimming.
In February 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set out its priorities for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. These include encouraging producers to implement the Better Chicken Commitment, as well as adopting technology to support environmental and behavioural monitoring and better stockmanship. You can read more about the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway here: Animal Health and Welfare Pathway - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
As outlined in the Action Plan for Welfare (link here: Action Plan for Animal Welfare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)), the Government is committed to strengthening welfare standards and is examining the use of cages for laying hens. I will continue to monitor this issue closely.
For my more general thoughts about the keeping of animals please feel free to read my website entry on the Kept Animals Bill here: Kept Animals Bill (Including: Export of Live Animals, Primates, Worrying of Livestock, Cats, and Dogs) - March 2023 | Richard Fuller.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
