RSPCA Assured­

Marc Cooper has changed the lives of hundreds of millions of farmed animals during his 20 years at the RSPCA 🐔 Heading up our Farm Animals department, his team develops animal welfare standards which have pioneered vital improvements for farmed animals, such as slower-growing breeds of chickens, an end to barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, and CCTV in slaughterhouses. Without it, millions of animals on farms would have worse lives. Low-welfare farming is the single biggest animal welfare challenge we face, as they have very little protection, which is very poorly enforced. While 94% of people currently choose to eat animal products, the work of Marc's team is vital in driving up welfare standards as we continue to campaign for better legal protection for farmed animals. Read more about Marc's challenging but rewarding role in our latest spotlight piece 👇

The scale of suffering involved with fast-growing chicken breeds is huge! Nearly one billion chickens every year live short, painful lives because they are bred to grow so fast to produce the most meat in the shortest possible time. Shockingly, a standard supermarket chicken grows so fast that if we were to breed humans in the same way genetically, it would be the equivalent of a morbidly obese 28-stone three-year-old... On RSPCA Assured farms, the RSPCA standards must be applied and these only permit higher welfare, slower-growing chicken breeds. Should you choose to purchase chicken, please look for our logo. The more people choose higher welfare chickens like RSPCA Assured, free-range, and organic, the more supermarkets will stock them.

❄️ Winter on the farm can be tough—for both people and animals. While us humans can retreat to warm homes, farm animals rely on us to protect them from the harsh conditions. At RSPCA Assured, we're here to help farmers keep their livestock safe, healthy, and comfortable through the season. 🐄🐑🐖 From preparing shelters to monitoring health, these small steps can make a big difference when the weather gets chilly. Read our latest blog for our top tips this Winter 👇

The Food Standards Agency has released its slaughter statistics this week showing an increase in the number of animals slaughtered without effective pre-stunning. The figures also show that in 2024 around 88% of animals slaughtered in the UK by the Halal method were pre-stunned, showing that animal welfare and religious slaughter can work together. We continue to urge the UK Government to make it mandatory for all animals to be stunned, regardless of religion. Please join our campaign: https://bit.ly/3B6OzCj

🤖 How does technology impact animal welfare on farms? 🚜 We caught up with Beth, a scientific officer from the RSPCA to learn more! While innovations like AI can help to improve health monitoring, there's a flip side where technology can also present challenges for animal welfare. Read more in our latest blog 👇 #RSPCA #RSPCAAssured #Technology #AnimalWelfare #Farming #Agriculture

Over 1 billion chickens are estimated to be farmed in the UK this year. Only a small percentage of these are farmed to the RSPCA’s higher welfare standards via our RSPCA Assured scheme. But unfortunately, the vast majority of farmed chickens are reared to standards that are not good enough. Here's how together we can make a change: https://bit.ly/3NPxbEM #BettterChickenCommitment #AnimalWelfare #Farming

🎇 With fireworks season upon us, for many pets and farm animals it’s a season of fear and stress due to the loud bangs and flashing lights. Did you know that fireworks can cause livestock to panic, sometimes resulting in injuries, and can even affect the health of animals like hens? Together, we can create a safer celebration for all animals 💫 Here's how you can help 👇 #RSPCA #RSPCAAssured #BonfireNight #Fireworks

We have been improving the welfare of farmed animals for 200 years. RSPCA Assured­ is a critical part of this work. It exists because no one else is doing this work. There is an appalling lack of legal protection for farmed animals and we are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring farmed animal welfare, while continuously driving up standards. Our scheme has recently come under scrutiny so we commissioned an independent review of 200 farms, and we are reassured that it has concluded that RSPCA Assured is operating effectively to assure farmed animal welfare. This gives us, our partners and the public further confidence that RSPCA Assured is making a positive difference to animals on farms right now. Read more about the outcome of this comprehensive review here: https://bit.ly/3Ae3gD0

This week we've given evidence in a judicial review arguing that fast-growing chickens, often known as 'frankenchickens', are unlawful. 90% of chickens in the UK live lives of suffering, genetically bred to grow so fast they can barely stand, develop lesions on their legs, suffer from heart defects and can even experience sudden death. We're proud to have supported The Humane League UK with this landmark appeal which has the potential to make the single largest impact for animals in 200 years. Their managing director said: "The RSPCA’s robust scientific evidence, and talented legal support, have been crucial to this case. We would never have made it this far and generated this much publicity if the RSPCA weren’t in our corner. Thank you!" We now have an anxious 12 weeks to hear the result and are keeping everything crossed for good news to stop the suffering of over 1 billion chickens a year 🤞 📷 A chicken bred for meat at just 34 days old. The weight gain of such breeds is the equivalent of a three-year-old human child weighing 28-stone.

💚 This #WorldMentalHealthDay, it's important to remember every kind matters—whether it's animals or ourselves. Working in animal welfare can certainly have its challenges, so we are offering resources and guidance in hopes of helping improve mental well-being across the sector. Check out our latest blog to learn how to find support, prioritise self-care, and reduce stress in your daily life 👇 #Farming #Agriculture #RSPCA #RSPCAAssured