A new campaign is calling for better treatment of chickens in the food industry
A new campaign by the Humane League UK is aiming to improve the lives of chickens bred for food purposes.
One in a Billion looks to highlight what these chickens go through before slaughter, and implore people and organisations to make changes.
It specifically shows broiler chickens, of which there around a billion in the UK.
These chickens typically live for less than seven weeks in a commercial setting, and those seven weeks can be wrought with health problems due to their breeding an living conditions.
Broiler chickens have been bred to grow unnaturally fast, with an offshoot of this being skeletal malformation and dysfunction, skin and eye lesions, and heart conditions in a large number of the chickens.
The Humane League UK website lets you find out about the life of one chicken called Frank, from birth to slaughter.
As part of One in a Billion comes the Better Chicken Commitment, which is a set of standards that business can sign up to to go above and beyond the minimum legal requirements for poultry welfare. It was devised by The Humane League, Compassion in World Farming, and the RSPCA, and companies like Zizzi, Ask Italian, Prezzo, M&S, and Pret a Manger have already signed up.
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The standard sets minimum amounts of light and room for chickens, and asks businesses to commit to using different breeds that have fewer health concerns. As well as this, it ensures that more humane methods of slaughter are used by the businesses involved.
More: Food
One in a Billion campaigners will be lobbying the British Poultry Council (who make up 90% of British poultry producers) to sign up, and you can get involved by signing this petition to show your support.
You can also sign up to the campaigns Fast Action Network, or become a volunteer.
If youre vegan, this wont apply, but for those who eat animal products, try to go for products from companies who back the Better Chicken Commitment, so you know the standards used in production are up to scratch.
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