Carrying chickens by their legs should remain unlawful, say UK campaigners

Defra proposal to relax farming rules accused of breaking Tory pledge to raise standards post-Brexit as the practice can cause pain

Proposals to legalise the carrying of chickens by their legs in the UK would represent an unacceptable dilution of animal welfare standards and the first such weakening of regulations in the area since Brexit, campaigners have said.

The government’s Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) has made the recommendation despite acknowledging it to be a “welfare compromise” that can cause “pain, discomfort and breathing difficulty” leading to distress and injuries such as fractures and dislocations.