Frankenchickens: charity to take on producers

Sean Gifford, managing director of The Humane League UK, outside the Royal Courts Of Justice in London

An animal charity has said it is considering taking further legal action against large scale producers of fast-growing chickens dubbed "Frankenchickens".

On Friday, The Humane League UK (THLUK) lost a High Court appeal to have such breeds banned, but judges said farmers should not try to balance higher productivity against negative impacts on the animals' wellbeing.

The charity said, despite the ruling, it still marked "the beginning of the end of this type of outdated farming".

Defra, the government body responsible for farming, said "Our farm animals are protected by robust animal health and welfare laws, which includes detailed requirements on how meat chickens should be kept."

Fast-growing birds experience leg and hip problems, as the weight of their muscle mass rapidly increases, according to campaigners

THLUK brought the legal action against the previous environment secretary, Therese Coffey. The charity argued she had misinterpreted a key section of animal welfare law concerning the chickens which can reach a slaughter weight of more than 2.0kg in five to six weeks.

The legal challenge was dismissed at the High Court after a judge found Ms Coffey had not "positively authorised or approved unlawful conduct by others".

The charity appealed the decision in October, but it was also dismissed in a ruling on Friday.

Campaigners said the judges' comments were a "historic victory for animals"

The 21-page appeal judgment said there was contested evidence on fast-growing breeds and so the court could not determine whether keeping them was unlawful.

But appeal judge Lord Justice Males said, according to regulations covering farmed animals, farmers should not try to balance higher productivity against negative impacts on the animals' wellbeing.

Sean Gifford, from THLUK, said: "This ruling is significant because the government has singularly failed to uphold its basic animal welfare regulations, which very clearly state that chickens should not be bred and used in British farms if it means their breed causes them to suffer."

The charity said it was evaluating what the judgement would mean in a private, criminal prosecution against a large-scale producer.

"We're going to be looking at a very big farm, a very large producer, and, exploring if we can really make an example out of them in this particular legal ruling… that this type of suffering should not be happening on British farms," Mr Gifford said.

A Defra spokesperson said they welcomed the appeal court judgement:  "Our farm animals are protected by robust animal health and welfare laws, which includes detailed requirements on how meat chickens should be kept.

"Any potential breaches of these laws are taken very seriously and we will continue to work with all stakeholders to maintain and enhance our high standards."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.