Email KFC to tell them to stand up for chickens
Around one billion chickens are farmed for meat every year in the UK. 90% of them are ‘Frankenchickens’. These animals have been bred to grow unnaturally fast and suffer from health issues including heart conditions, lameness, skin lesions, weakened immune systems and muscle disease, as well as extreme stress and boredom.
Thanks to your support, Compassion and other groups have successfully pushed major food companies to sign the Better Chicken Commitment – a set of changes to chicken farming that promotes healthier, slower-growing chicken breeds and provides more space, natural light and enrichment.
One of the most high-profile companies to sign was KFC UK & Ireland. In 2019, KFC's own boss called it "the right thing to do" and that "our customers care about improving the lives of the chicken we buy”. This was a big deal – it’s estimated that KFC purchases around 40 million chickens every year in the UK and Ireland.
But fast forward to 2026 and the company, along with 17 other restaurant chains, has broken its promise to improve the lives of chickens. Rather than listen to the UK public and take steps to improve chicken welfare, KFC is backtracking on its words and continuing to serve Frankenchickens to its customers. Fast-growing chickens cannot have lives worth living.
If thousands of us email KFC, we can show them that they must take action to improve chicken welfare.
Subject: KFC – Please stand up for chickens
FAO Rob Swain – General Manager of KFC UK & Ireland,
Dear Mr Swain,
I am getting in touch to call on KFC to take the welfare of animals seriously and honour its commitment to use slower-growing chicken breeds. It was exciting to see KFC take the lead on chicken welfare back in 2019 and I am so disappointed that you have now broken your promise and will continue to serve unnaturally fast-growing Frankenchickens to your customers. These sentient animals experience pain and suffering from conditions like lameness, heart disease and skin lesions, as well as extreme stress and boredom.
KFC remains committed to the European Chicken Commitment in many other markets and it’s such a shame that KFC is choosing profits over animal welfare in the UK and Ireland.
On behalf of the estimated 40 million UK chickens that you serve every year, I urge you to put slower-growing breeds on the menu at KFC. I understand that this will not happen overnight, but I would like to see clear targets and a timeline. Please release a public statement so that I can see when and how you intend to tackle this critical animal welfare issue. You are clearly an innovative business. If you care what your customers think, you will honour your commitment to improve the lives of the animals that sit at the heart of your business. I hope you take this opportunity seriously.
Yours sincerely,
[First name] [Last name]
