A CAMPAIGN group has sent a number of Cornwall farmers letters warning them of ‘legal action’ if they don’t improve their welfare standards for chickens.

The Humane League (THL UK) has said that any farm raising ‘frankenchickens’, that is chickens bred to grow extremely large extremely quickly. While it is a method for chicken producers to raise chickens from chick to slaughter weight in just 35 days, campaigners say that the unnatural weight maximises profit but comes at the expense of the life quality of the chickens with muscle diseases, bone deformities and burns from lying in their own waste.

THL UK says it is sending letters on the back of a judicial review it launched, that saw a ruling that farming animals who suffer from their genetics is unlawful regardless of profitability.

Announcing its initiative to send letters to chicken farmers and producers which it believes is raising the ‘frankenchickens’, comprising of breeds including Cobb 500, Hubbard Flex and Ross 308, the campaign group said that one and a half million chickens who are genetically engineered to grow quickly die on UK farms each week prior to being slaughtered.

It is taking the action in partnership with lawyers at ‘Advocates for Animals’.

Sean Gifford, Managing Director at THL UK, said: “Chicken farming in the UK is fundamentally broken. That’s why we are putting one and a half thousand UK chicken producers on notice.

“The Court of Appeal was crystal clear - raising animals whose genes condemn them to lives of suffering is unlawful. Frankenchickens, who struggle with lameness, organ failure and blisters from lying in their own waste, are forced to endure this suffering as a result of their very DNA. We believe this makes farming them illegal. These letters are a crucial step towards building a better future for people and animals.”