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Indicator 6.3

Issue: The welfare of laying hens and broiler (meat) chickens

Indicator 6.3a: Sales of shell eggs by production system

• Importance of the issue
• Evidence of welfare importance
• How supermarkets can help
• Indicator of laying hen welfare
• Desired outcome
• Supermarket progress

Indicator 6.3b: Sales of fresh and frozen chicken by production system

• Importance of the issue
• Evidence of welfare importance
• How supermarkets can help
• Indicator of broiler chicken welfare
• Desired outcome

Indicator 6.3c: Effort in promoting welfare-friendly eggs & poultry meat

• Indicator of effort in promoting welfare-friendly eggs & poultry meat
• Desired outcome

Indicator 6.3a

Issue: The welfare of egg laying hens

Indicator: Sales of shell eggs by production system

Importance of the issue

The production of eggs from battery cages is a flagship issue for farm animal welfare that has been the subject of many years of intense public and political campaigning. This has resulted in the European Union agreeing to prohibit barren battery cages by 2012. The UK Government supported the ban and was "delighted at this successful outcome", which it describes as a "major step forward" (DEFRA, 2002). Complementary egg marketing legislation will make it compulsory for all battery eggs sold in the EU to be labelled "eggs from caged hens" from 2004.

The prospect of battery eggs being imported into the UK, either as eggs in shell or as liquid egg for processing, will remain after the anticipated cage ban in the EU. The EU legislation will also permit the use of so-called "enriched" cages, although the level of uptake for this system within the European industry is uncertain. Severe welfare problems remain with "enriched" cages (Lymbery, in press), and the eggs from this system will be compulsorily labelled "eggs from caged hens".

Worldwide, some 70-80% of laying hens are housed in battery cages. About 90% of the EU's 271 million hens are caged. This is likely to change rapidly in the run-up to 2012 when the EU bans battery cages. In the UK, the proportion of caged hens continues to decrease (MAFF, 2001). Of the 29.2 million hens in the UK, about 78% are caged, with the rest in non-cage alternatives; 16% free range; and 6% in barn/perchery systems (Williams, 2000).

Evidence of welfare importance

Battery cages are wire cages for egg-laying hens. They are so small that the hens cannot flap their wings, so barren they have no nest in which to lay their eggs, and so restricting that lack of exercise causes the birds' bones to become brittle. The cages may be stacked up to 9 tiers high, with as many as 90,000 birds caged in one windowless building.

There is clear scientific evidence that hens suffer in battery cages (e.g. Appleby, 1991; Baxter, 1994; SVC, 1996). Common sense also tells us that to keep a healthy hen in a barren wire cage, with less space than an ordinary sheet of typing paper, is bound to cause suffering. These conditions prevent the hens performing their natural behaviours, and cause their bodies to degenerate through lack of exercise. Battery hens suffer Caged Layer Osteoporosis (CLO), or brittle bones through lack of exercise and the demands of high egg production (Turner & Lymbery, 1999).

In 1996, the European Union's committee of scientific and veterinary experts published a report acknowledging the behavioural needs of hens, and the welfare problems caused by caging. After reviewing the evidence, the Scientific Veterinary Committee report concluded that:

"Battery cage systems provide a barren environment for the birds… It is clear that because of its small size and its barrenness, the battery cage as used at present has inherent severe disadvantages for the welfare of hens" (SVC, 1996).

How supermarkets can help

Opinion polls in the UK and elsewhere have shown that the majority (over 80%) of the public believe battery cages are cruel. Supermarkets can help by facilitating consumer choice, prioritising the sale of high value and high welfare non-cage eggs, and by moving to a position where they no longer sell battery eggs.

There is a range of methods open to supermarkets to increase the proportion of non-cage eggs that they sell. Clear labelling of battery eggs has already helped many citizens to match their beliefs with their consumer buying habits. Most major retailers have already introduced egg labelling according to method of farm production. This has been matched by a marked increase in non-cage egg sales amongst the buying public. Other options open to supermarkets include promoting non-cage eggs through price and in-store positioning, customer information, and targeted promotion on welfare-friendly eggs.

Race to the Top encourages all supermarkets to increase the proportion of non-cage egg sales volume to 100%. In addition, supermarkets should insist on non-cage egg ingredient in ready made meals and processed egg products throughout their product range. Marks & Spencer and Waitrose have already met both of these targets.

Indicator of laying hen welfare

The following questions form the ‘Race to the Top’ indicator:

1. Of the total sales volume of shell eggs sold by your company (own label & branded) in the UK each year, what percentage is made up of battery cage produced eggs (Own label & branded) and eggs from non-cage alternatives (barn, free range, etc.)?
2. Of your company’s total sales volume of alternative shell eggs, what proportion is produced using the following non-cage production systems: Free Range; Barn/Perchery; or others (please specify)?
3. Of your company’s total sales volume of processed and ready-made meal products containing egg ingredient (both own label and branded), what proportion currently uses egg ingredient from non-cage alternatives (barn, free range, etc.)?
4. Has your company set a target date by which it intends to cease selling both own label and branded battery eggs?

Desired outcome

Race to the Top encourages supermarkets to sell 100% non-cage eggs. Of those non-cage eggs sold, those produced under free range conditions are most desired. For egg ingredient, supermarkets are encouraged to work towards 100% non-cage throughout their product range. The best outcome is for supermarkets to have set a target for no longer selling battery eggs or products containing battery egg ingredient, and to have fully implemented it. This is already the case for Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.

Indicator 6.3b

Issue: The welfare of broiler (meat) chickens

Indicator: Sales of fresh and frozen chicken by production system

Importance of the issue

In terms of the number of individual animals produced annually, broiler chickens reared for meat represent the largest livestock sector in the UK/EU. Their welfare is subject to criticism at the highest level, including a recent report by the European Commission's own expert Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (SCAHAW), which criticised the welfare of intensively produced broiler chickens (SCAHAW, 2000).

The vast majority of the 800 million broiler chickens reared annually in the UK are crammed together, many thousands of birds in each barren shed. They are not caged, but kept at such high stocking densities that the birds quickly carpet the floor of the shed. Broiler chickens grow at super-fast rates, so fast that their bones, heart and lungs often cannot keep pace.

Evidence of welfare importance

Fast growing broiler chickens suffer high rates of lameness, heart disease and skin sores. Although broilers now put on weight very quickly, the strength of their bones has not improved significantly. Putting on weight at twice their normal rate has led to the travesty of a 42-day old bird's skeleton being forced to carry the weight of an 84-day old. This often causes lameness and painful crippling. One UK study found that 90% of commercially reared broilers could not walk normally. 26% were believed to be suffering chronic pain and discomfort (Kestin et al., 1992). For some birds, (2%) crippling was so bad that they could only move with the help of their wings or by crawling on their shanks.

In its 2000 Report on the welfare of broiler chickens, the European Commission's advisory committee on animal welfare (SCAHAW 2000) concluded that:

• "Leg disorders are a major cause of poor welfare in broilers."
• "Contact dermatitis [skin sores from caustic burns] is a relatively widespread problem in the European broiler" industry.
• "Ascites [fluid in the abdomen associated with heart failure] has a serious negative effect on broiler welfare. The problem has increased in recent years."
• "The greatest threat to broiler welfare due to behavioural restriction would appear to be likely constraints on locomotor and litter directed activities caused by crowding, and consequences for leg weakness, poor litter quality and contact dermatitis."
• Findings are "indicative of poorer welfare at the higher stocking densities."

Free range and organic systems, especially where more traditional, slow growing strains of bird are used, are a high welfare alternative to intensive broiler chicken production. In these systems, the enriched environment and greater space encourage the chickens to exercise and move around, rather than spending a large proportion of their day squatting on litter floor. This can reduce leg problems and sores from dirty litter, thereby contributing to a better quality of life for the birds.

How supermarkets can help

Supermarkets can help by promoting the sale of free range and organic chicken meat. There is a range of methods available including clear labelling of intensively produced chicken, which is often labelled "fresh" chicken. Unlike egg marketing, the labelling of intensively produced chicken as to method of production is currently unknown. Other options open to supermarkets include promoting free range and organic chickens through price and in-store positioning, customer information, and targeted promotion on welfare-friendly chicken.

Indicator of broiler chicken welfare

The following question forms the ‘Race to the Top’ indicator of supermarket performance on broiler chicken welfare:

1. Of the total sales volume (both own label & branded) of fresh and frozen chicken sold by your company (both whole birds and chicken joints), what proportion is made up of: Standard intensive broiler chickens; free range broiler chickens; organically reared broiler chickens; or other non-intensively reared chickens (e.g. Freedom Food)?

Desired outcome

The desired supermarket action on this issue is to increase the proportion of free range and organic chicken sales volume to 100%.

Indicator 6.3c

Issue: The welfare of laying hens and broiler (meat) chickens

Indicator: Effort in promoting welfare-friendly eggs & poultry meat

Race to the Top recognises that differences in demographic customer profile mean that the proportion of customers with a propensity (natural tendency) to buy high-welfare products will vary between companies. For this reason, the promotional effort needed to make similar progress on, for example, increased sales of free range poultry will differ between companies. Companies such as Somerfield and Morrison’s are likely to need more promotional effort to gain a 5% increase in welfare-friendly chicken than, for example, Waitrose or Marks & Spencer. To reflect this tendency, an indicator of promotional ‘effort’ has been included.

A sustained promotional effort on welfare-friendly produce is advantageous to the companies concerned by increasing sales of higher value products. It is also an important prerequisite in ensuring that customers with a propensity to buy welfare products do not simply switch their store allegiance. Otherwise this could result in a simple shift in sales distribution rather than a genuine increase in consumption of high welfare meat and eggs.

Indicator of effort in promoting welfare-friendly eggs & poultry meat

The following question forms the ‘Race to the Top’’ indicator of supermarket performance on promotional effort:

1. What proportion of your company’s overall promotions budget was spent on promoting the sale of non-cage eggs and free range/organic broiler chickens in the last calendar year?

Desired outcome

Race to the Top encourages supermarkets to ensure that a significant proportion of their overall promotions budget is spent on pushing welfare-friendly products. The first year’s results are expected to provide benchmark figures on this indicator. These could be helpful in informing the promotional strategies of individual companies to help perform better in related indicators.

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