Poultry are the most numerous farmed animals globally, yet they often receive the weakest legal welfare protections. Understanding current laws and their gaps is essential for advocates.
Despite their numerical dominance among farmed animals, poultry often receive the weakest legislative protection. The omission of poultry from some welfare laws, or their exclusion from the most impactful provisions, reflects historical attitudes that deprioritized bird welfare relative to mammals. This is particularly concerning given that chickens can experience pain, fear, and distress, and that the conditions of intensive broiler and laying hen production impose chronic welfare costs at enormous scale. Legislation that sets meaningful minimum standards — stocking densities, environmental requirements, monitoring obligations — can drive industry-wide improvement. Consumer campaigns that push for corporate commitments beyond legal minimums (like the Better Chicken Commitment) have proven that higher standards are achievable without legislation.