Brown said there were “commercially viable, more slowly growing, higher welfare breeds” available, highlighting the Netherlands, where he said 100% of meat-chickens were of the slower-growing breed. He told the court the growth speed of faster growing breeds was 12 weeks faster than it was 50 years ago. In written arguments, Edward Brown KC, opening the case for THL in London on Wednesday, said: “These breeding practices have increased meat yield, and allowed producers to significantly reduce cost, at the expense of substantial welfare detriment … Welfare issues connected to fast-growing breeds include musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disorders such as leg weakness, ascite (buildup of fluid in the abdomen), breast muscle myopathies (diseases) and higher mortality rates, all of which are exacerbated as a result of the high-density intensive conditions in which the animals are kept.” As a result of genetic selection, about 90% of the 1 billion meat chickens slaughtered each year are faster-growing breeds, reaching slaughter weight of about 2.2 kg within three to 36 days.
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