Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Wales
6 August 1998
Dear Minister,
I have pleasure in submitting the Farm Animal Welfare Council's Report on the Welfare of Broiler Breeders which is published next week. We considered a wide range of issues and carried out extensive consultation with interested organisations. Many of our recommendations reflect practices that are already well established and are followed by the majority of the industry but we include them here in the hope that they will be incorporated in a new welfare code.
Broiler breeders are relatively valuable birds and the incentive to ensure they receive careful husbandry is strong simply on commercial grounds. However, it is appropriate to set out the areas where attention should be focused. The Report deals with breeder stock throughout the rearing and laying phases and addresses in detail the major welfare dilemma of feed control. The experience of 'hunger' is not in itself detrimental to the bird, but it is the extent and duration that can cause it to become a welfare problem.
The UK is an established world leader in the production of pedigree breeder stock. Nonetheless, breeding birds are kept in many other countries across Europe and we look to the Government to urge its EU partners to adopt welfare standards similar to ours. I shall be sending copies of the published Report to the European Commission and to the Council of Europe.
I hope the Government will find this Report helpful and carry out its usual consultation at an early date.
Yours sincerely
Professor Sir Colin Spedding
Chairman
Farm Animal Welfare Council