Norway will become the first country to fully transition to higher welfare chicken breeds by 2027, moving away from fast-growing “frankenchickens”.
The country raises 70 million chickens annually, 60% of which are fast-growing breeds like the Ross 308. These birds, selectively bred to gain weight rapidly, suffer severe welfare problems, including difficulty walking and prolonged pain.
Over the past five years, Norway has gradually introduced higher welfare breeds such as Rustic Gold and Hubbard JA787. Animal advocacy groups, including Anima International, hailed the decision as a historic improvement for animal welfare and highlighted the UK’s slower progress, where 90% of chickens are still Ross 308s.
Connor Jackson, CEO of Anima International UK, emphasised that meaningful improvement requires replacing fast-growing breeds entirely, urging UK retailers and food chains to follow Norway’s example and tackle the industry’s biggest welfare challenge.
