London, 28th February 2024
Today (Wednesday 28th February) Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) has expressed concern following the publication of a new report by the Animal Welfare Committee which recommends the law is changed in England and Wales to allow chickens and turkeys weighing less than 10kg to be lifted by two legs.
The Animal Welfare Committee advice was sought following a conflict between retained EU legislation on the protection of animals during transport and the English and Welsh Code of Practice.
The retained Council Regulation 1/2005 Annex I, chapter 3, section 1.8 (d) prohibits lifting any animal by the legs or handling it in such a way as to cause it unnecessary pain or suffering. However, the England Wales Code states that: “Catching should either be by holding them round the body or, if by the legs, by both legs.”
In this context, the Animal Welfare Committee has recommended that for five years the law is changed to permit chickens and turkeys weighing less than 10kg to be lifted by two legs. The Committee concluded that: “While acknowledging this to be a welfare compromise, AWC considers that a reasonable time period is needed to allow data on the relationship between carrying methods and welfare outcomes to be gathered and analysed and for different methods to be examined and trialled.”
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation is deeply concerned by the animal welfare implications of allowing chickens and turkeys to be lifted by two legs, given the evidence these animals suffer greatly during such handling. CAWF has long campaigned for the welfare of animals in transport -including catching and handling- to be improved.
Lorraine Platt, Co-Founder of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, commented: “We are deeply concerned by recent Animal Welfare Committee recommendations that the current law which prohibits the handling of poultry with two legs should be amended, thus leaving chickens and birds with far weaker welfare protections. The evidence is clear that chickens and other birds suffer greatly when carried by their legs – enduring high levels of stress.
“Brexit gave us the opportunity to build on existing retained animal welfare standards, not remove those already in place. The weakening of these regulations would represent a major step backward in the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in animal welfare, and we urge Defra to carefully consider such implications before adopting the Committee’s recommendations.”
About Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF)
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 2016 to raise awareness on the lives of billions of animals reared on intensive farms around the world and how this impact upon animal welfare, the environment and people’s health. We want to highlight the action people can take to help advance farm animal welfare.
Animal welfare is an increasing concern amongst the public, who frequently look to Government to take the lead in both maintaining and improving standards.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation believes it is highly important that the welfare of farm animals is placed at the forefront of the Governments plan for food and farming along with its focus on productivity, competitiveness, and technology.
Media contact: Sophia Stileman (sophia.stileman@conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org)
