Find out more. Why is good litter condition important for meat chicken welfare? Just a generation or so ago, keeping ‘backyard chooks’ was a common practise, but as the price of commercially-produced eggs lowered so did the number of hen keepers. Breeder birds are fed a restricted diet to ensure they don’t become too large to affect their ability to breed. There may be between 3 and 10 sheds on one farm. Pharmacological agents called coccidiostats against necrotic enteritis are routinely added to chicken feed to prevent disease outbreaks in flocks. In the latest move, the public is told that meat chickens are never kept in cages. A chicken’s natural lifespan can be up to 10 years; but chickens that are raised for meat live for about 35-47 days. Chickens have to be removed from their crates and be consciously shackled for the electrical stunning process. Why is environmental enrichment important for meat chicken welfare? A chicken’s natural lifespan can be up to 10 years; but chickens that are raised for meat live for about 35-47 days. Around the world, approximately two-thirds of farm animals are raised in factory farms. Animal Liberation has footage from day old chicks to broilers ready for slaughter, revealing the lifelong suffering of these animals and a drastic weight difference to rescued chicks at slaughter age. To read more about the animal welfare issues of meat chickens at slaughter click here. Between 1996-2016, demand for chicken meat grew almost 40% in the European Union, 89% in China and 183% in India. by 5m Editor 27 September 2010, at 12:13pm AUSTRALIA - The Australian Chicken Meat Federation (ACMF) has started a campaign aimed at busting a few myths over broiler farming. In the latest move, the public is told that meat chickens are never kept in cages. On arrival at the farm chicks are placed in the sheds, where up to 60 thousand birds may be housed in one shed. Major Poultry Producers in Australia The major poultry producers in the region include Baiada Poultry Inc. Inghams Enterprises and Turi Foods. The setter turns the eggs every hour – mimicking a brooding hen’s natural behaviour. In Australia, meat chickens in total confinement systems are farmed in large sheds. Shed sizes vary, but a typical new shed would be 150 metres long and 15 metres wide and hold about 40,000 chickens. Baiada is privately run Poultry Company that is presently the largest poultry company in the country. 1 Nine out of 10 pigs are kept in factory farms, and more than 450 million chickens, as well as 13 million layer hens are factory farmed in Australia each year. The processor company will own the birds and provide feed, veterinary and technical support, as well as arrange for the birds to be caught, transported and processed at the abattoir. What are the animal welfare issues with on-farm euthanasia of meat chickens? Each year around 551 million chickens are slaughtered in Australia. This Poultry Australia guide has been designed to provide you the knowledge to make an informed decision. This is what factory farming means for chickens. Between 65 – 70% of Australia’s meat chickens come from farms that are accredited under the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme Between 18 – 20% of Australia’s chicken meat comes from farms that are accredited by Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia If your buying or selling a poultry farm anywhere in Australia we have many years of experience with Poulty farming Rapid growth causes skeletal and metabolic disorders causing suffering, lameness, pain and death. There may be … Chickens were brought over to Australia by the First Fleet, and since that time they have become immensely popular.