Buying chicken and poultry

Buy free-range or organic and look out for our Good Chicken Award winners

Chickens and turkeys are bred to grow so fast their bones, heart and lungs often can’t keep up, causing crippling lameness or heart failure. They don’t get to go outside and big chicken farms can house up to 50,000 birds into one shed.

Free range chicken, turkeys and ducks have access to the outdoors with a more stimulating environment and are given more space in their shed which houses significantly fewer numbers of animals.

Higher welfare indoor alternatives to standard production are available which provide the birds with more space, natural light, and a more stimulating environment.

Remember

When you’re eating out ask if the chicken on your plate or in your sandwich is free-range.

If you can’t afford free-range look for the RSPCA Assured standard which gives birds a better quality of life than the Red Tractor farm-assured scheme. Some retailers have their own higher welfare indoor standards too.

Good Chicken Awards

Our awards recognise companies that commit to using higher welfare chicken systems throughout their supply chain, providing chickens with more space, natural light and environment enrichment, whilst encouraging the use of slower growing breeds

Find winning companies using higher welfare indoor, free-range, or organic chicken, on our Food Business website.