Image source: We Animals Media
END ILLEGAL
CHICKEN HANDLING
IN THE UK
Call on Defra to Update the Laying Hen and Broiler Codes of Practice Now
We are calling for an end to the illegal and inhumane practice of handling chickens by their legs. Existing legislation (The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006, which transposes Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 from the EU) strictly forbids this harmful practice.
Despite legislation prohibiting the practice, the government’s codes of practice for chickens bred for meat and eggs explicitly reference handling chickens by their legs. These codes are unlawful and the UK government needs to change them.
In addition, The Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) has published an opinion in which they recommend a change to the law to accommodate the common practice of carrying chickens by their legs. This is the first suggestion of diluting animal welfare legislation post Brexit.
We sent a legal letter to the UK Government pushing for updated codes of practice for chickens to make it clear that picking chickens up by the legs is not allowed.
Update
In response to our letter, the government appeared to concede that carrying chickens by their legs was unlawful, although that concession became unclear in subsequent correspondence. We understand that they are taking steps that could allow them to amend Regulation 1/2005 to explicitly legalise this practice, but there is no certainty that that is how they will proceed.
Regardless of future steps, the law as it currently stands prohibits carrying chickens by their legs. In the meantime, the Codes of Practice continue to allow this practice.
We consider that the government’s position is unlawful and have issued proceedings for judicial review in the High Court.
Briefly, our grounds of challenge are:
If that is indeed their position, the government is wrong in law to reject the proposition that the present law prohibits lifting of poultry by the legs. We believe Regulation 1/2005 clearly prohibits the practice.
The Codes of Practice are incompatible with Regulation 1/2005 and unlawful. In addition, the government’s publication of an incorrect, incomplete, or misleading statement of law in the Codes, that would encourage farmers and keepers of chickens to break the law, is unlawful.
We are currently waiting for the court’s decision on whether to grant us permission to proceed with the judicial review, which could take a few months.
Source: We Animals Media
During transportation to slaughter, chickens bred for meat and eggs on British farms are often grabbed by one leg, held upside down with several chickens in one hand, and stuffed into crates.
This cruel practice is evidenced in the recent investigation by Animal Justice Project, with catchers on a farm seemingly grabbing as many as 5 distressed chickens in each hand.
Handling chickens by their legs results in:
Broken bones, dislocations, bruising and severe pain
The inability to breath as chickens lack a diaphragm to keep their organs away from their lungs
Prolonged and intense stress
This is all in the name of minimal savings. Data from the Dutch animal protection organisation Eyes on Animals shows that the cost for eggs only increases by € 0.0004 per egg when using the upright handling method.
It is time to hold the UK Government accountable and demand action
TAKE ACTION NOW
Your support is crucial in achieving our goals.
You can engage with your local Member of Parliament, urging them to place pressure on Defra to maintain the current law and support the important changes to update the Codes of Practice. You can download the letter here that you can either post or email to your MP.
Join us in ending the illegal and harmful handling of chickens in the UK. Together, we can make a significant impact, protect the welfare of these fragile birds, and uphold the values of compassion and justice for all animals.