Speak up for Australian chickens

A critical moment. Have your voice heard.

Shamefully, the proposed standards and guidelines  for chickens  fail to improve animal welfare, and fail to meet community expectations and incorporate scientific developments.

Half a billion chickens are bred in Australia every year for meat. Many of them are kept in barren, cramped conditions, with only the space of an A4 sheet of paper to move around. They are bred to grow so big and so fast that often their hearts and legs give out under the strain.

Plus at least 11 million laying hens every year are restricted in barren, wire cages without even a nest.

But now you can use your voice to call for change for chickens.

The body overseeing the review of the Poultry Standards and Guidelines has made a call for public submissions.

In our submission, World Animal Protection will call out the appalling failure of the Government to improve welfare standards for chickens and demand the standards and guidelines be tightenedBut we need to prove enough Australians want real change for chickens.

Will you add your name to our submission?

Together, we will call for welfare improvements such as:

  • A nationwide ban on cages for all poultry
  • Enough space and provisions for chickens to stretch their wings, forage, perch, dustbathe, nest, fly and just behave naturally
  • Slower growing breeds to enable normal development and reduce health issues
  • Minimum light intensity to allow normal eye development, movement and natural behaviours
  • Darkness at night so the chickens can sleep and natural light during the day
  • Specialised vet care and trained staff to regularly assess chickens’ welfare
  • Regular reviews of the Standards and Guidelines so they will always be up to date with the latest science.

Don’t make chickens wait another ten years to experience real change.

Speak up for chickens

World Animal Protection is preparing a submission calling for change for chickens – change that will give millions of animals more freedom to behave naturally, better nutrition and fewer health issues. And ensure a life without cages.

Please note by signing up below, your name will be attached to our public submission. Add your name today, and make your voice heard. Together, we can help create change for Australian chickens.

Australians know chickens deserve better

Nearly all Australians (94%) believe some common farming practices are unacceptable. And nearly three quarters believe farm animals could be treated better in Australia. Consumers are beginning to demand higher welfare products.

Clearly, the tide of popular opinion is turning towards higher welfare for farm animals like chickens. But progress is slow – and the bureaucracy behind initiatives like the Poultry Standards and Guidelines mean that when change does happen, it happens slowly.

That’s why now more than ever, as the Standards and Guidelines are up for a once-in-a-decade review, it’s critical you make your voice heard if you want change for chickens.

Tell the world