Dr Michael Morris Animal welfare writer www.nzchas.canterbury.ac.nz

A new draft code of welfare for broiler chickens has just come up for review, and submissions close on the 8 November. The draft Code goes into great detail about such factors as stocking density, litter management, the light regime for chickens, transport and catching, and training for workers.

All of these are certainly important considerations when it comes to the welfare of broiler chickens. However, the Code is totally disingenuous in that it ignores the single biggest factor in the immense suffering inflicted on the 90 million broilers in this country. Public expectations have changed, and people want to eat chicken most days, and not as an occasional treat. This means that producers can earn more money by selectively breeding birds that grow faster and reach slaughter in 42 days. But this takes a toll on the bird. The modern broiler is a genetic freak; clinically obese, barely able to stand, and so huge that their hearts cannot cope with the strain of pumping blood around their bloated bodies.

A recent New Zealand study showed that 38 per cent of broilers were visibly lame, and in continuous pain for the last week of their lives. It is no wonder that John Webster, professor of animal welfare at Bristol University has described broiler production as 'in both magnitude and severity, the single most severe, systematic example of man's inhumanity to another sentient animal”.

Welfare can be improved by substituting slower growing strains. The European Commission Organic standard for example stipulates that the time to slaughter should not be less than 81 days. This slower growth period produces a far more robust and healthy bird. The National Animal Welfare Advisory Group has stated that considerations of breed used will be considered in a future Code of Welfare for breeding stock. However, given the record the government has on dragging its feet on Code development, such a code could be years away, if it ever appears at all. In the meantime, sick, obese and crippled baby chickens continue to suffer.

In the European Community, consumers can choose to purchase slower growing and healthier birds. In New Zealand, however, this is not an option even on organic farms due to the oligopolistic nature of the chicken industry. Until growers are forced to change the breeds used, the best way for New Zealand consumers to avoid being complicit in animal suffering is to stop eating chicken meat.