Norway has announced a landmark move for animal welfare, with Nortura SA and the Norwegian Meat and Poultry Industry Association (KLF) issuing a joint declaration that commits the entire poultry sector to two major reforms: ending the use of fast‑growing broiler breeds and stopping the systematic culling of male chicks.

Fast‑growing broilers to be phased out by 2027

Under the new agreement, the Ross 308 — a fast‑growing broiler chicken breed widely used across Europe — will be fully phased out in Norway by 31 December 2027. This transition is expected to improve the lives of more than 70 million chickens every year.

Fast‑growing breeds like the Ross 308 have been selectively bred to reach slaughter weight in just a few weeks, placing extreme strain on their bones, hearts, and immune systems. These birds often struggle to stand or walk, suffer from chronic pain, and experience severe welfare issues throughout their short lives.

Although the Ross 308 has remained the dominant broiler breed in Norway, momentum for change has been building. In August 2022, Norwegian producer Norsk Kylling became the first company globally to transition its entire broiler production to meet the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), which requires the use of slower-growing breeds with demonstrably better welfare outcomes. Norsk Kylling’s success shows that higher‑welfare production is commercially viable at scale.

Male chick culling to end by July 2027

The declaration also sets a clear end date for the routine culling of male chicks in the egg industry — a long‑criticised practice in which millions of day‑old male chicks are killed because they cannot lay eggs and are considered commercially unviable.

Advances in in‑ovo sexing technology now allow producers to identify the sex of embryos before they hatch. This means eggs containing male embryos can be removed early in incubation, eliminating the need to kill live chicks.

Norway will adopt sex‑sorted eggs as the national standard by 1 July 2027, sparing more than three million male chicks each year. The transition will be phased in gradually to align with the natural lifespan of existing laying flocks.

What does Norway’s commitment mean for UK broiler production?

Norway’s decisive action shows what can be achieved when industry leaders prioritise animal welfare and commit to meaningful change within a clear, coordinated timeframe.

For the UK, the scale of the transition is far larger– around 1 billion chickens are produced annually, compared to 70 million in Norway – and around 90% are still bred to grow so fast that their bodies struggle to cope, resulting in significant welfare concerns.

A successful shift to slower-growing breeds will require co-ordinated action across the whole supply chain. UK retailers have already taken an important first step in improving welfare by adopting lower stocking densities (30kg/m2) in line with the Better Chicken Commitment. However, only Waitrose is fully BCC‑compliant and using slower‑growing breeds across all its own‑brand chicken.

To further improve broiler chicken welfare in the UK, the industry must now shift to using slower-growing breeds and this will require producers, retailers, and foodservice companies working together to plan and support this transition.

The UK Government’s support for voluntary efforts to phase out fast‑growing broiler breeds, as set out in its Animal Welfare Strategy published in December 2025, will also play a crucial role in enabling this shift.

The UK now has a pivotal opportunity to turn gradual improvements into a nationwide shift that sets a new benchmark for broiler welfare.

Learn more about how we can support change for broiler chickens

Breakthrough: Norway commits to phasing out fast-growing broilers