Denmark seeks EU-wide ban on rapidly growing chicken breed

Christian Tvergaard, a producer for a major Danish chicken company, is accused of violating Danish law by restricting the amount of darkness chickens receive daily, a practice intended to increase their feed consumption. This accusation was brought to light in a recent TV2 documentary featuring covertly recorded footage from a chicken coop in North Jutland.

The Ross 308 breed, commonly referred to as “turbo chickens,” accounts for the majority of poultry production in Denmark. These chickens reach a weight of approximately 2 kilograms from a starting point of 50 grams in just 33 days. This accelerated growth rate is known to cause skeletal and organ-related health issues, compared to other breeds which take between 46 and 63 days to reach the same weight.

Denmark’s Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare, Christian Rabjerg Madsen, has urged consumers to avoid purchasing turbo chickens. “I want to work for a national ban. But it’s clear that this is something that needs to be investigated both legally and economically,” he stated. He further added, “Now we will work for a national ban, we will work for a ban at EU level.”

Following the documentary’s release, Tvergaard acknowledged making errors in his practices. “I look inward and must admit that I have made some wrong decisions. There is no excuse for that, but I can learn from it and correct where I have not done well enough. And I have done that, both when it comes to the lighting programme and a number of the workflows we have in the stable, where both procedures and the roster have been tightened up.”

The proposed ban is gaining political traction within Denmark, garnering support from various political parties. However, industry representatives caution that any ban must also apply to imported chickens to be truly effective.

Klement Hinkbøl Ribergaard, CEO of Danpo, warned that a Danish-only ban could lead to consumers still accessing imported, fast-growing chicken of questionable quality, ultimately undermining animal welfare.

Given the prevalence of fast-growing breeds throughout the EU, a ban would represent a significant shift. According to Eurogroup for Animals, 95% of chickens in the EU are raised in intensive systems focused on maximizing meat production at the lowest possible cost.

“Fast-growing breeds are inherently predisposed to suffering, with their bodies growing so quickly they can barely stand on their legs,” said Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals. “Denmark’s political willingness to stop this is an example that should be followed by the EU, for it presents the progressiveness this industry needs, one that is backed up by scientific evidence.”

Britta Riis, CEO of Animal Protection Denmark, described turbo chickens as the product of “a deeply unethical and grotesque form of breeding” resulting in “systematic abuse” and significant animal suffering. The organization advocates for all chickens to be raised for a minimum of 56 days, mirroring the timeframe used for organic breeds.

Animal welfare has been a prominent topic in Danish public discourse recently, notably dominating the most recent general election, which became known as the “pig election.” The country is scheduled to phase out mink farming by August 2029, after the government declined to seek an EU exemption.