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43 day broiler chickens in a caged farming system - World Animal Protection - Change for chickens

Chickens are the most abused animals in the world and billions of them are suffering daily. They deserve better.

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Change for chickens

Chickens are suffering

It may be your favourite meal or a part of your protein diet, however, too often the reality behind the world’s most popular meat is unacceptable suffering. You might ask – ‘why should I care about the suffering of chickens?’. The straight answer is – you should.

Here’s why:

  • 60 billion chickens are raised for global consumption each year.
  • Two-thirds of them (40 billion) live in overcrowded sheds or cages often with no natural light or fresh air, unable to peck or spread their wings.

Chickens are not treated like animals; they are considered a commodity. The speed at which they are raised for commercial benefits:

  1. They are overgrown
  2. They suffer from painful lameness
  3. They have overworked hearts and lungs
  4. They get wounds, including skin sores and burns

Between 1996-2016, demand for chicken meat grew almost 40% in the European Union (EU), 89% in China and 83% in India.

 

Change for Chickens

Did you know?

Globally, around 2000 chickens are slaughtered every second. A factory farmed chicken lives an average of 42 days. While in the wild, or an open farm, it can live for several years. The life span of chickens is shortened in factory farming as they are bred for meat. They are grown in such a way that they gain weight, become oversized, however they are still babies when they are slaughtered. 

Chickens need your help today

Change for Chickens

Take the pledge to consume wisely to

  • Know where does your chicken come from?
  • ONLY consume chicken when they are treated with basic welfare norms 
  • Ask companies to treat their chickens with compassions and provide better living conditions, which will result in higher welfare, healthier product

Once you've taken the pledge, you’ll receive email updates on how you can help protect animals of all kinds around the world.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Find out more about our Change for Chickens campaign here

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Healthy Chicken. Healthy You

Chickens raised in factory farms are forced to gain 50g weight every day before they are slaughtered. This unnatural and forced weight gain disturbs the immune system of the chicken drastically and causes a range of physical problems.Their organs and legs cannot sustain this sudden weight gain and it leads to diseases in chickens. These diseases chickens are then slaughtered and sent out for your consumption. Even wonder what will happen when you consume these unhealthy chickens?

Think about it. You can make a difference. 

What needs to happen for the sustainable welfare of chickens on an intensive commercial farm?

Chickens too need help

The lives of billions of chickens can be transformed by implying High Welfare Standards on intensive commercial farms. To give chickens a better life, these farms must:

🐔 Choose chicken breeds that grow at a slower rate

A slower growing breed raised in higher welfare reduces the health problems associated with leg disability caused by the rapid growth of the chicken and being overweight. Reduce the impaired function of the heart and lungs. Thus, higher welfare gives the chicken more freedom of movement with stronger legs, smaller breast muscles and more balanced growth etc.

🐔 Reduce overcrowding in houses

The maximum stock density should be 6 lbs./ sq. foot i.e, 2.7kg/ sq. foot or 30kg/ sq. meter. Having more space reduces stress and encourage the chickens to do their favourite activities, such as walking, scratching, and mashing the dust.

🐔 Adjust the house so that the chickens get more natural light

With at least 6 hours of continuous darkness for the chickens to get enough sleep.

🐔 Create an environment that is friendly to chickens such as perches, hay bales, a straw to bite and more

Providing materials that enable chickens to perform natural behaviour and stimulate better in more enriched environments. Practising such activities that one enjoys can help reduce stress and reduce illnesses

 

Global fast-food brands have a responsibility to improve the lives of chickens everywhere. But these brands are propping up cruel chicken farming to ensure the product they receive is consistent. Find out more about which global brand is failing to provide basic welfare standards to chickens by reading The Pecking Order.

We want to build a community of informed individuals who understand that chickens have a life too. They feel pain, they suffer and they cannot voice their plight.

Join us in the fight to end this unnecessary cruelty on chickens.

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World Animal Protection India

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