Poultry are farm birds and include chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.

Animal welfare is a principal concern when setting standards for livestock. "Organic farming has the potential to offer the very highest standards of animal welfare. The Soil Association's welfare standards are leaders in the field" (Joyce de Silva, Chief executive, Compassion in World Farming, 2003).

The Soil Association standards provide very strict regulations concerning animal welfare. There are representatives from Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) on our standards committees.

Our standards go beyond 'free range' and 'welfare-friendly' labels. The organic certification scheme covers every area of production and processing which is crucial to meeting high animal welfare standards.

Soil Association certified organic poultry are truly free range. Although some systems may allow the birds access to outdoor areas there are a number of factors that make a big difference as to whether or not the birds will actually take advantage of this free ranging area. Under Soil Association standards rules have been laid down to ensure that the birds are encouraged to make use of the ranging area.

Our standards are set to ensure both high levels of animal welfare and health. The standards are based on the idea that prevention of illness is better than cure.

Freedom to range

Under an organic system hens are able to behave naturally - grazing, pecking the ground, scratching and dust-bathing. Organic poultry must have continuous and easy daytime access to pasture and/or range, except in adverse weather conditions. They cannot be permanently housed.

The land to which poultry have access must be well covered with suitable and properly managed vegetation. Pasture must be regularly rested from poultry to allow vegetation to grow back. This also prevents the build up of parasites and prevents nitrogen building up and polluting streams and rivers.

Shelter

Poultry must have access to shelter at all times and be provided with protection from predators. Adequate cover, either natural (for example trees, shrubs and cover crops) and/or artificial (for example screens and trailers) must be provided in the free range areas. This gives the birds conditions similar to their native habitat, protection from overhead predators, and shelter from extreme weather conditions.

Housing of birds

Chickens being raised for meat (broilers) must be housed with room for a maximum of 10 birds per square metre. A flock must not contain more than 1,000 birds.

For chickens raised to lay eggs, Soil Association organic rules do not allow more than six birds per square metre indoors. Meat birds need less room because they are 10 weeks old when they are slaughtered. Layers spend at least a year in their accommodation and so need more space.

Intensively-reared broiler chickens are normally housed in groups of up to 40,000 in large sheds and turkeys in groups of up to 25,000. Under Soil Association organic rules, the number of birds in each poultry house must not be more than:

• 2,000 for laying chickens
• 1,000 for chickens reared for meat, ducks, geese and guinea fowl
• 1,000 for turkeys

Health

Under an organic system growth-promoting drugs are banned and organic farmers are encouraged to choose slower growing breeds which are well suited to free range systems. Vaccination can only be used if there is a known disease risk on the farm, or neighbouring land, which cannot be controlled by any other means.

While intensively reared chickens live for around 42 days in cramped and stressful conditions, chickens raised to our standards cannot be slaughtered until they are at least 81 days old, unless they are defined as being a slow growing or traditional strain, when they can be slaughtered earlier.

Antibiotics

There is widespread concern about the use of antibiotics in intensive poultry units. The British Medical Association is concerned that the "risk to human health from antibiotic resistance is one of the major health threats that could be faced in the 21st century".

Due to the large flocks, disease can spread very quickly in intensive farms. Low doses of antibiotics, given in feed and water are a form of insurance against disease for the farmer. But long-term, low-dose exposure is far more likely to create resistance to antibiotics than the occasional use of veterinary drugs to treat illness. Many of these antibiotics are also used to treat humans.

Our standards are based on the principle that prevention is always better than cure. Organic standards have many rules which ensure better husbandry and living conditions to help prevent illness occurring. Organic farmers would only use a course of antibiotics to treat a specific problem and to prevent any unnecessary suffering. The routine use of antibiotics is not allowed under our standards.

Chicks

Organic farmers must buy organic chicks if they are available. However at present only a limited number of organic chicks (from organically managed parents) are available.

If a farmer is unable to buy organic chicks they can apply to Soil Association Certification for permission to buy non-organic chicks instead. If the birds are to be sold for organic meat they must be brought in under three days of age and managed to organic standards for at least 10 weeks.

We are working with the poultry industry to change this situation, by encouraging more organic hatcheries to be established. This is a massive task due to the way the poultry industry is currently organised. Most chickens are hybrid birds produced by a line of specific species, the genetics of which are owned by big multi-national companies.

Organic eggs can only be produced from birds kept on land managed to organic standards. If the farmer is not able to get hold of organic birds, non-organic birds can be brought in to lay eggs if they have already been reared to our organic standards with regards to their feed and any veterinary treatments. They cannot be any older than 18 weeks when brought in. This means that even though they will not have been reared to full organic standards they will not have eaten or been given any medication which we would not allow under our own rules and regulations. They must then be managed to our full organic standards for at least six weeks before any of the eggs can be sold as organic.

The farmer has to provide us with a plan which explains how many birds they will need each year, how many they expect to be able to get from organic sources and how many from non-organic. They must then outline in the plan what they are going to do to ensure that they can get organic birds in the future.

They are not allowed to buy in birds from caged systems or birds whose beaks have been clipped or tipped.

The EU has extended the deadline for using non-organic chicks for the time being. The Soil Association is aiming for all producers to be sourcing 100% organic chicks as soon as possible.

Introduction | Previous: Animal welfare | Next: Dairy cattle

This document is not to be used by Soil Association licensees as a substitute for the Soil Association organic standards. The standards are available to buy for £30. To order a copy please call 0117 914 2406, or email goorganic@soilassociation.org.