Animal welfare starts with broiler chickens

By LIAM DANN

The poultry industry has welcomed the new Broiler Chickens Code of Welfare, announced on Friday.

It comes into force on July 25 and sets down minimum standards for housing, lighting, feeding, stocking densities and ventilation.

"This code has endorsed the high standard of the broiler chicken industry in this country," said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand.

"Much of what is prescribed in the code is current practice."

This is the first code of conduct to be issued under the Animal Welfare Act.

It applies only to the broiler chicken industry. Broilers are chickens raised solely for their flesh and killed before the age of eight weeks.

A separate code of conduct is still being developed for the egg-farming industry.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and the poultry industry will undertake a welfare audit over a period of five years to monitor the new code's effectiveness and make comparisons with other countries.

New Zealand produces about 77 million broiling chickens annually.