Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Bradshaw hails new EU chicken welfare rules
New rules to improve the welfare of chickens across Europe have been welcomed by UK Minister for Animal Welfare, Ben Bradshaw.
For the first time, chickens reared for meat production will be covered by strict regulations governing the conditions in which they are kept, after European farming ministers agreed a package of new measures, including:
* The introduction of limits on stocking density
*
Cross-European Union (EU) training for the industry
* A
possible new welfare labelling regime
* Cross-EU data
collection and scientific monitoring of impacts on welfare (e.g
genetics)
* Action against anyone breaking the rules
Ben Bradshaw, Animal Welfare Minister, said:
"This is an unprecedented step, ensuring that this major sector has for the first time a set of strict rules to adhere to. The welfare of meat chickens is a major concern to people throughout the European Union.
"This agreement sends a strong message to the rest of the world that we care about animal welfare."
Ben Bradshaw added that the UK successfully fought - supported by Sweden, Denmark and other welfare-minded countries - against a further watering down of the proposals led by France.
Notes to editors
1. The Directive is a package of measures for improving meat chicken welfare. It sets conditions for the keeping of chickens for meat production from the time chicks are brought to production sites, until they leave for slaughter. The Directive applies to flocks of 500 plus birds. Two sets of standards are applied using stocking density as a criterion for the level of intensity of production. Firstly, producers who stock up to a maximum of 33 kg/m(2) have to comply with standards relating to drinkers, feeding, litter, ventilation and heating, light, inspection, cleaning, training, record keeping and mutilations. Second, producers who seek to stock beyond a limit of 33 kg/m(2) up to a maximum of 39 kg/m(2) (plus an additional 3 kg bonus based on certain criteria) will have to comply with an additional set of standards and monitoring in the slaughterhouse.
2. Meat chickens are the last major intensive sector not to have their own rules. This Directive will fill that gap and create a level playing field for producers across Europe.
3. Every year, around 850Million meat chickens are produced in the UK and 4Billion meat chickens are produced across the EU.
4. The Directive will come into force in 2010.
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