Poultry: Animal Welfare
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 on the (a) stress and (b) injury chances of farmed chickens and turkeys.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare.
The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 introduces new requirements prohibiting one-leg catching of laying hens, meat chickens and turkeys weighing 5kg or less in Great Britain. These birds must now be caught, lifted and carried by two legs to directly minimise welfare harm. An impact assessment (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/149/pdfs/ukia_20250149_en.pdf) was published alongside this legislation, which also covers the welfare impacts of different catching and handling methods.
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