NEW research has shown that slower-growing chickens have a significantly reduced risk of mortality and culling and produce better meat quality.

The RSPCA-commissioned study compared the health, welfare and production characteristics of the three fastest-growing meat chicken breeds used most extensively worldwide with a widely used, commercially viable slower-growing higher-welfare breed.

The results of the research, which was carried out independently by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), showed that up to 49 per cent of faster-growing birds could die or should be culled due to welfare issues such as lameness.

This compares to 16 per cent of the slower growing birds.

The study also showed that up to 78 per cent of the fast-growing birds were likely to have poor quality meat with white striping, compared to ten per cent for the slower-growing breed.

Up to 23 per cent of the fast-growing birds had a condition known as wooden breast, compared to just one per cent of the slower growing breed.

Kate Parkes, chicken welfare specialist at the RSPCA, said: “It has often been argued that intensive systems used to produce chicken meat are more sustainable than higher welfare systems.

"This new, independent research shows that conventional production with fast-growing breeds is potentially very wasteful, with farmers facing the loss of up to nearly half of their flock due to increased mortality and culling for poor leg health.

"In addition, our research shows that fast-growing birds are significantly more likely to produce poorer quality meat, through conditions known as white striping and wooden breast.

“However, birds with poor leg health are not always culled, and meat with white striping and wooden breast is still sold to consumers.

"Therefore, the cost of ‘standard’ chicken meat is being kept artificially low due to some of these issues not being adequately addressed and, as such, the rearing of fast-growing breeds seems to be a false economy, as well as presenting a serious welfare issue.

“We are pleased the UK Government are looking to link farm support payments with better welfare and feel chicken is an area where farmers could be given financial support to move to using slower-growing, higher welfare breeds.

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