The Better Chicken Movement (campaigning for better welfare)
If you are not already plant-based, if you eat chicken ensure it’s free-range from a local certified farmer. It’s best to avoid chicken from supermarkets, as ‘hock burns’ (from ammonia) are often hidden.
If you look closely at factory-farmed chicken in supermarkets, you may find ‘hock burns’ (caused by ammonia, due to creatures lying in excrement – around a third of all birds sold, usually due to feathers having rubbed away).
Read our post on Compassion in World Farming’s campaign to get shops to take on its 6-tier food labelling system (consumers would then know which animal foods to avoid, if they eat them).
One budget supermarket was found to have most chickens with this and some with ‘white striping disease’, caused by being intensively farmed to be ready to slaughter in just six weeks.
The Humane League is asking all supermarkets to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment to ensure all producers:
- Comply with EU animal welfare laws & regulations
- Not exceed maximum stocking density
- Use higher welfare breeds
- Provide a higher welfare environment
- Use controlled atmospheric stunning over shackling slaughter methods
- Agree to regular independent audits of abattoirs
If nobody bought factory-farmed meat or ‘vegan brands with palm oil’, the companies would have to change course. Simple as.
Why does the government simply not introduce Compassion in World Farming’s 6-tier system instead, as linked above? This would be one standard that could be trusted by everyone (it even has one upgrade from Soil Association’s certified organic label).
And would make it easy for people who eat meat to avoid factory-farmed meat, something that nearly everyone would do, especially if such goods were clearly labelled.
Chickens are descended from dinosaurs, yet the most abused creatures on earth. In nature, they forage and dust-bathe and sing to chickens in the womb.
Yet we have factory-farmed chicken, cock-fighting, abandoned pet chickens and roosters and battery eggs. Our bird friends are now so overbred, there are now around 25 billion chickens on earth.
The best way to help chickens is simply not to eat them, or their eggs. Most chicken on sale has ‘hock burns’ caused by ammonia that is cut away, as consumers are now up on their welfare checks. Visit Compassion in World Farming and Save the Chickens Foundation for more information.
Like KFC? Try VFC!
If you like the taste of KFC, then look in supermarkets for VFC! This food brand (co-founded by a chef and the co-founder of Veganuary) is sold everywhere (including in budget supermarkets) and offers tasty chicken fillets and popcorn chicken, easy to cook up in the air-fryer.
There is a huge concern at present over the big fast food restaurants (including McDonald’s and KFC) refusing to sign the Better Chicken Commitment, which has at least some better welfare laws, including slower-growing chickens (fast-growing chickens suffer from lameness and injury).
KFC had decided to sign up, but now has backtracked, saying that ‘there aren’t enough chickens’ to do it. Considering it even fries its chips in fat from factory-farmed chickens, it’s not a good place to support. Both chains also have other animal welfare and environmental concerns.
