Starting from March this year, consumers in Denmark will no longer be able to buy these extremely fast-growing industrial chickens at Lidl’s 126 stores. According to Pernille Fraas Johnsen, Senior Advisor Farm Animals at Dyrenes Beskyttelse, this is a great victory for animal welfare. 

“It’s great that a retailer like Lidl is phasing out this breed and it will have great impact on the welfare of many millions of chickens,” she says. “Dyrenes Beskyttelse still recommends that consumers choose the highest level of animal welfare, but this initiative aims at ensuring that cruel, fast-growing breeds are totally removed from the shops’ shelves.”

In future, Lidl will increase the animal welfare requirements with which their suppliers of fresh meat must comply. Chickens will have to be a slower growing breed, and will need to have more space, increased veterinary checks, and reduced transport time. Such requirements correspond to one ‘heart’ out of three in the Danish governmental animal welfare label.

“We started from where we knew we could have the biggest impact - namely broiler chickens, which are the type of meat we sell the most of. The initiative does not, of course, mean that our job is done,” says Rasmus Pape, Lidl's Chief Commercial Officer. “We will continue to explore how and by what means it is possible for us to increase our suppliers’ animal welfare standards even more.”