British Attitudes To Chicken
Animal welfare is a key factor for consumers when choosing which chicken to buy, according to new research from the MORI Social Research Institute. The survey, for the RSPCA, shows the most widespread concern is choosing which is healthiest to eat, with 48% saying this is most important.
When asked what is the second most important, the most commonly mentioned is choosing whichever is most animal welfare friendly (40%). The same survey reveals almost half the public (46%) are concerned about the "battery" methods used in farming chickens for meat.
People were also shown the Red Tractor ("British Farm Standard") Logo, and asked with which chicken rearing methods they associated it. Many consumers (34%) link it with birds being reared "in barns/sheds, but with access to the open air" (that is, a free-range farm environment). However, a quarter (26%) say they do not know how chickens are reared for meat.
Topline Results
- 2,048 adults aged 15+
- Interviewed face-to-face in-home
- Between 11-16 March 2004
- 208 sample points throughout Great Britain.
- An asterisk (*) indicates a percentage of less than 0.5% but greater than zero
- Data have been weighted to reflect the national profile
- Base all, unless otherwise stated
Q1 Which, if any, of the following is most important to you when choosing which chicken to buy? If you do not buy/eat chicken, please say so. Q2 And which, if any, is the second most important to you?
| Q1 | Q2 | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| ...whichever is the cheapest | 16 | 23 |
| ...whichever is most animal-welfare friendly | 16 | 40 |
| ...whichever is healthiest to eat | 48 | 29 |
| I do not worry about what chicken I buy | 4 | 4 |
| I do not buy chicken, but do eat it | 5 | * |
| I do not eat chicken | 6 | * |
| Other | 3 | 1 |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 |
Q3 What concerns, if any, do you have about the way chickens are farmed for meat in Britain?
| 2001* | 2004 | Change '01-'04 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | 177% | |
| Battery hens/battery farming (any mention) | 32 | 46 | +14 |
| Barren/boring environment | n/a | 4 | - |
| Being kept indoors/No access to fresh air | 33 | 13 | -20 |
| Being kept in dark/poorly lit conditions | 17 | 11 | -6 |
| Being kept in dirty conditions/poor hygiene | 15 | 11 | -4 |
| Force feeding of chicken | 9 | 7 | -2 |
| Broken bones/Deformities | n/a | 2 | 2 |
| Burns/burn marks on legs and skin | n/a | 1 | - |
| Genetic modification | 2 | 4 | +2 |
| Heart defects | n/a | 1 | - |
| High death rate | n/a | 1 | - |
| Lack of exercise/Unable to move around | 15 | 7 | -8 |
| Overcrowding/Not enough space | 47 | 22 | -25 |
| Poor quality/taste of chickens | 2 | 4 | +2 |
| Poor quality/inappropriate food | 8 | 5 | -3 |
| Possible adverse impacts on human health | 3 | 5 | +2 |
| Skin diseases | n/a | 2 | - |
| The age at which chickens are killed | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| Speed of growth/Genetically selected for fast growth | n/a | 4 | - |
| Use of growth hormones | 7 (a) | 6 | -1 |
| The way the chickens are killed | 4 | 5 | +1 |
| Other | 5 | 8 | +3 |
| None of these | 17 | 23 | +6 |
| Don't know | 6 | 8 | +2 |
(a) In 2001, this category was "Speed of growth/use of growth hormones"
Q4 Which, if any, of the following describes how British Farm Standard chicken is reared for meat?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Chickens reared in barns/sheds but given access to open air | 34 |
| Chickens reared inside barns/sheds with plenty of space but not given access to open air | 15 |
| Chickens reared inside barns/sheds with limited space and not given access to open air | 21 |
| In battery cages | 14 |
| Don't know | 26 |
