More space is welcome — but breed change is essential

Recent progress has been made in the UK, with many major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Co-op, having introduced or committed to a maximum stocking density of 30kg/m² for their fresh chicken supply. However, aside from M&S and Waitrose, these retailers have yet to commit to adopting healthier, slower-growing breeds.

While providing chickens with more space is a positive step, it does not address the significant health and welfare problems associated with fast-growing chickens. To deliver meaningful improvements in chicken welfare, supermarkets must implement all the science-based Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) criteria, including the crucial transition to slower-growing, higher-welfare breeds. Without breed change, many of the most serious welfare issues associated with modern chicken production will persist.

Better welfare supports better health

The case for breed change extends beyond animal welfare and has important implications for public health. Slower-growing chickens are generally more robust, with better natural immunity and need fewer antibiotics than conventional fast-growing breeds. This is significant because the overuse of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance, making infections harder to treat in both animals and people. By adopting healthier, slower-growing breeds, alongside lower stocking densities and improved living conditions, we can reduce reliance on these vital medicines - improving chicken welfare while helping to protect human health too.

Harming animals harms us

The documentary reveals the health impact from eating a diet heavy in ultra-processed chicken. Ten days into his fast-food experiment, Mo felt sluggish and experienced regular digestive issues. He later reported brain fog and low mood and, by the end, had gained half a stone. His average blood glucose level also increased, potentially raising his risk of developing type 2 diabetes if the trend continued. While this extreme diet might not reflect normal eating habits, it serves as a stark reminder of the health risks associated with regularly consuming large quantities of ultra-processed, fried chicken products.

Then there is also pollution from intensive poultry production. Visiting a mega-farm hotspot in Delaware, USA, Mo finds communities breathing a “toxic stew of gases” linked to ammonia pollution from poultry units. Concern is also growing in the UK about the health of people living near factory-farming hotspots.

Why the poultry sector must raise the bar

As Philip Lymbery says in Big Chicken, “cheap chicken is far from cheap”. Chickens suffer; communities face pollution; antibiotic overuse threatens public health; and industrial feed production places further pressure on soils, forests and the climate.

The UK Government must urgently consider these hidden costs before pursuing its promised Poultry Sector Growth Plan. Expanding the same intensive model would lock millions more sentient animals into a low welfare system built around rapid growth, while increasing risks to our health and placing further pressure on natural resources.

Instead, government and food businesses must raise the bar for chicken welfare by implementing the criteria of the BCC, with the transition to slower-growing breeds at its heart. This includes the 18 UK restaurant brands, including KFC, Burger King and Nando’s, that stepped back from the BCC earlier this year. We urge these companies to reinstate their commitments, make use of timeline extensions available where necessary, and publish clear plans for full implementation. Only by delivering all the BCC criteria can businesses credibly claim to be providing genuinely higher-welfare chicken.

Read more about the farming of broiler chickens.

Netflix documentary exposes the true cost of Big Chicken