Norway will become the first country in the world to phase out the use of fast-growing chicken breeds in its poultry industry by the end of 2027, in a move hailed as a historic moment by animal welfare advocates. The decision, announced on Friday 23 January 2026, will see the country transition to 100% higher welfare breeds.
For years, NGOs have raised concerns about the use of fast-growing chicken breeds, also known as ‘frankenchickens’ or ‘turbochickens’, which have been selectively bred to gain weight at an accelerated rate. This has resulted in widespread welfare issues, with countless exposés showing the birds struggling to walk under their own weight and research suggesting that they experience significant pain during their short lives.
In Norway, 60% of chickens raised for meat are fast-growing breeds, specifically the Ross 308 which is also used by 90% of the UK chicken industry. However, over the past five years, the Norwegian industry has gradually adopted higher welfare breeds such as the Rustic Gold and the Hubbard JA787.
“This is a historic moment for animal welfare. It’s one of the greatest improvements to animal welfare in history, and it shows that the transition away from fast-growing breeds is possible. But it also highlights the fact that we are far behind on this issue in the UK, where companies have barely started to address this problem,” says Connor Jackson, CEO of Anima International’s UK branch.
Anima International, a global animal advocacy organization, has been campaigning in Norway for the past five years to see a transition away from fast-growing breeds. In the UK, where it also operates, a number of NGOs have been calling for the same transition since 2017 through the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
Last year, Waitrose became the first major UK company to transition to higher welfare breeds in all its chicken products as part of the BCC. M&S, another BCC signatory, has also made progress by transitioning to higher welfare breeds for all fresh chicken, with plans to complete the transition by the end of this year.
However, fast-growing breeds still remain the norm in Britain. While some retailers have taken steps to give their chickens more space, animal welfare advocates argue that this does not address the underlying issue of fast-growing genetics.
“UK consumers care deeply about animal welfare, and they would be shocked to see the reality of an intensive chicken farm even with more space. While better management is a positive step, it only scratches the surface of the problem. To truly improve these animals’ lives, we need to follow in Norway’s footsteps and transition to higher welfare, slower-growing breeds,” says Jackson.
He adds, “Retailers, along with high street brands like KFC, Greggs, and Pret, need to step up and address the widespread use of fast-growing breeds, which is the biggest cause of suffering for chickens in their supply chains. There is nothing stopping companies from working with the industry to find a solution similar to what Norway has done.”
Anima International, also known as Open Cages in the UK, is an animal advocacy organization with branches in six countries. The organization has been campaigning for ten years to end the sale of fast-growing chickens.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Connor Jackson
UK CEO, Anima International
+447504580011
connor.jackson@opencages.org
opencages.org