By November 2024, all of Morrisons own-brand fresh chicken will be grown with over 20% more space than the industry standard of 38kg/m2. This change forms part of Morrisons journey to improve and enhance animal welfare standards.
Morrisons has been reducing its chicken stocking density steadily over a number of years and with the help of its suppliers will reduce this to 30kg/m2 (from 34.2kg/m2 currently) making it easier for customers to make the positive choice to support higher standards of welfare whilst remaining competitive on price.
Currently, all of Morrisons fresh chicken is raised above Red Tractor standards and Morrisons is the only retailer in Europe to ask their fresh chicken suppliers for their chickens to be born into the barn in which they are raised – avoiding handling and transport. From May 2023, more than 90% of Morrisons fresh chicken suppliers will be doing this – another step on from previous years.
Sophie Throup, Technical and Sustainability Director at Morrisons, said: “As British farming’s biggest direct supermarket customer, we care deeply about how our animals are grown and we are always looking at ways with our suppliers to improve standards. That is why by the end of the year we will have lowered our stocking density giving chickens more space as they grow. The changes we intend to make across all of our own-brand fresh chicken will allow customers to make more positive choices when it comes to the products they purchase as we continue our journey to improve welfare standards.”
Customers already have a choice of free range or enhanced welfare chicken including Morrisons Space to Roam chicken which launched in 2022. This range of chicken is slower grown and already offers chickens more room to move around.
