To help understand the farm costs and welfare benefits, ADAS would like to speak to farmers who already have welfare enhancements in place and are achieving a good standard in animal welfare or are part of a higher welfare or organic farm assurance scheme.

In particular, we would like to hear from farmers who achieve or do any of the below:

Poultry

Laying hens

• Good feather cover with fully beaked or beak-trimmed birds;
• Good range use promoted by enhanced outdoor ranges (eg with trees or other features/enhancements to encourage range use)

Broiler Chickens

• Rearing slow-growing strains
• Rearing to reduced stocking rates
• Encouraging range use with enhanced outdoor ranges (e.g. with trees or other features/enhancements to promote range use)

What is involved?

Project participants will need to fill out an online survey about their farming system and welfare enhancements. Once the survey is complete, a follow-up call will be arranged with a researcher to discuss the costs and welfare benefits in more detail.

Farmers will be paid £100 for taking part to compensate for their time.

Farmers will need to provide welfare, performance and cost records and be willing to discuss their experience of implementing higher welfare enhancements.

If you or someone you know is achieving one or more of the above welfare enhancements, then please contact Livestock consultant Hannah Baldwin - email: [email protected] or call 07785 708545.

“All data collected will remain strictly confidential and any farms that take part will not be identifiable in the results. We would be really grateful for your assistance with this importance piece of research.”