The British Poultry Council has warned that a “pressure campaign” by animal welfare campaigners to “intimidate farmers and manufacture headlines” is not in the interest of animals, the public or responsible food production and could “backfire”.
The trade body issued an explainer after animal protection charity The Humane League UK sent a letter to more than 1,600 chicken farmers, highlighting that they may be breaking the law, and could face “serious legal consequences” if they raise fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’.
These birds are bred to grow to a very large size extremely quickly, reaching slaughter weight in just 35 days on average. This could lead to severe welfare consequences, including muscle diseases, bone deformities and burns from lying in their own waste, THL UK claimed.
In a letter headlined ‘You may be breaking the law by using fast-growing broiler breeds’, THL UK drew attention to a Court of Appeal ruling in December 2024, following its judicial review on how the law should be interpreted.
The Court of Appeal ruled against claims that the use of fast-growing chicken breeds in poultry supply chains was unlawful.
However, the judgment stated that farming animals that suffer due to their genetic make-up was unlawful, the THL UK claimed.
“We believe that rearing fast-growing chicken breeds – who suffer predictably and unavoidably due to their genetic selection – may now constitute a breach of the law,” the letter stated.
“As such, the door is now open for potential legal action against producers continuing to rear these breeds. In other words, your farm could now be at risk of a criminal prosecution.”
‘Spreading fear and confusion’
However, a statement issued by the BPC warned that the letters were spreading fear and confusion, resulting in a “disservice” to everyone working to “raise standards” and have “serious conversations about welfare”.
“There has been no legal ruling against the use of conventional breeds and nothing to suggest that British poultrymeat production, as it stands, is unlawful,” explained BPC chief executive Richard Griffiths.
“The Court of Appeal denied the Humane League’s appeal and made clear that welfare decisions sit within the remit of the competent authority – in this case, Defra. “The court recognised welfare as a complex issue influenced by genetics, husbandry, and environment. Good practice remains key, and that is something British poultrymeat producers take very seriously.”
Griffiths claimed that British poultry producers operate to some of the highest welfare standards in the world, with over 90% of production assured under Red Tractor.
“The derogatory terms used by NGOs are misleading and undermines evidence-based progress in welfare and sustainable food production,” he added.
However, Sean Gifford, managing director at THL UK, described chicken farming in the UK as “fundamentally broken”.
“That’s why we are putting one-and-a-half thousand UK chicken producers on notice,” he said.
“The Court of Appeal was crystal clear – raising animals whose genes condemn them to lives of suffering is unlawful. Frankenchickens, who struggle with lameness, organ failure and blisters from lying in their own waste, are forced to endure this suffering as a result of their very DNA. We believe this makes farming them illegal. These letters are a crucial step towards building a better future for people and animals.”
While progress has been made with changes to stocking densities, with the majority of supermarkets having now switched from 38kg/m² to 30kg/m², the majority of UK food businesses will still fail to meet the 2026 Better Chicken Commitment welfare deadline, Compassion in World Farming warned in March. Breed change remained a key stumbling block and had the lowest transition rates, the report revealed.
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