Library:Count Your Chickens Report 2023 (report)
The Count Your Chickens Report is published by Mercy For Animals.
Introduction: Since 2016, more than 200 companies in North America have adopted the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), a set of standards to address the suffering of chickens raised for meat. Corporate accountability remains a key issue, as many companies have yet to demonstrate progress on their commitments.
The State of the U.S. Chicken Industry: In the United States alone, more than nine billion chickens are slaughtered every year. Their short lives are often spent in agony, and they are killed at the young age of five to seven weeks.
The BCC in 2023: More than twice as many companies are demonstrating progress toward their broiler chicken welfare policies now than at the time of the first edition of Mercy For Animals’ Count Your Chickens Report.
Company Rankings: Companies are graded based on their public policy, demonstrated progress, and published roadmap toward policy fulfillment. Grade A companies have reported their BCC progress to date and published roadmaps for fulfilling their policy commitments. Companies are graded from A to F based on their public policy, demonstrated progress, and published roadmap toward policy fulfillment. Grade A companies have reported their BCC progress to date and published roadmaps for fulfilling their policy commitments. Grade F companies have not reported progress, and their policy statements are partial, diminished, or no longer public.
Looking Ahead: By implementing BCC promises, businesses will meaningfully impact the lives of millions of animals. Companies can take practical steps to accelerate their progress such as publishing milestone-backed transition roadmaps and publicly reporting annual progress.