General welfare legislation applies to meat chickens but the meat chicken sector is a major area of intensive livestock production not so far covered by the species-specific programme of EU farm animal welfare standards.

The European Commission has put forward a new proposal introducing improvements in the welfare of intensively farmed chickens by means of technical and management requirements including enhanced monitoring on the farms and an increased flow of information between the producer, competent authorities and the slaughterhouse, based on a welfare-specific monitoring of the flocks after slaughter.

It sets conditions for the keeping of chickens for meat production from the time chicks are brought to the productions sites until they leave for slaughter. It does not cover parent flocks nor brooding and hatching of chicks. The proposal focuses on the welfare problems in intensive farming systems with a minimum threshold of 100 chickens.

The closing date for responses is 30 September 2005.

To make your feelings known on this subject, read the consulation material below and respond as directed in the Consultation letter.

Consultation letter
List of organisations consulted
EU Commission proposal (PDF) (86 KB)
Initial Regulatory Impact Assessment (PDF) (44 KB)


Source: Defra - 12th July 2005