Nearly 20,000 people have signed up to a campaign demanding retailers to only sell higher welfare chicken.
The Better Chicken campaign, by the RSPCA, lobbies supermarkets across the UK to help improve broiler health and welfare.
In just five weeks since the charity's campaign was launched, nearly 20,000 people have signed up.
The Better Chicken campaign aims to help retailers meet the Better Chicken Commitment’s minimum asks by 2026.
This means providing broilers with more space, light and enrichment and ensuring they only use slower-growing, higher welfare breeds.
The campaign also aims to show the public how their purchasing decisions can make a difference to animal welfare.
Figures show that around 90% of the 1.1 billion chickens slaughtered for meat in the UK are from fast-growing breeds.
This means they have been genetically selected to produce the maximum amount of meat in the shortest time at the cheapest price.
Animal welfare campaigners point out that this leads to severe health and welfare issues.
Emily Harris, RSPCA campaign manager, said the charity was 'thrilled' that so many people have taken action to help improve animal welfare.
"Thousands of people have spoken and we believe retailers cannot ignore this clear message - the public wants their supermarkets to commit to selling higher welfare chicken.”
Kate Parkes, a poultry expert who works for the charity, said it was one of the biggest animal welfare issues facing the UK today.
“The vast majority of chickens reared for meat here in the UK are not given enough space, lighting or enrichment to meet their needs.
"They are also genetically selected to grow so fast that they often suffer from heart defects, lameness and lesions on their feet and legs, and even sudden death."
What is the Better Chicken Commitment?
The BCC is a set of requirements for improving broiler welfare driving the food industry towards higher welfare practices. The key requirements are;
• Birds need to be given more room in order to have the chance to peck, scratch, dust bathe and rest without being disturbed
• Natural light must be provided, which means birds won't spend their whole lives in dim, artificially lit conditions
• Provision of enrichment items, things that the birds can explore and peck at, as well as perches so birds can roost
• No cages or multi-tier systems
• More humane methods of slaughter - eliminating the shackling and inversion of conscious birds.
• The use of only slower-growing breed of chickens which have better health and welfare outcomes
