Australia’s newest chicken factory looks like a modern art gallery – but will it improve animal welfare?
Three million chickens a week will be processed at the state-of-the-art facility in Tamworth – a fifth of all those eaten nationwide It is for birds? Is it for planes? The sleek, rust-coloured saucer settles into the earth, mirroring the surrounding hills. It looks like an art gallery or a high-end conference centre – an architectural masterpiece designed to sit lightly on the land. Continue…
A $600 million poultry processing plant is set to open in Tamworth, Australia, in the coming weeks. This state-of-the-art facility, owned by Baiada, one of Australia's two largest chicken producers, will process 3 million chickens per week – a fifth of all chickens eaten in the country. The sleek, rust-colored structure blends into the surrounding hills, resembling an art gallery or high-end conference center.
The new plant will create over 1,000 jobs, with workers able to take lunch breaks at an on-site cafeteria, gym, or landscaped gardens.
Located 300km north of Sydney, the Baiada facility occupies a fifth of the nation's chicken consumption. Australians eat an average of 55kg of chicken per person yearly, and this facility will account for nearly 20% of the annual slaughters projected for the financial year. The poultry industry is committed to regional growth and has invested in the Tamworth community for six decades.
However, concerns remain about animal welfare standards at the new facility. Jed Goodfellow of the Australian Alliance for Animals argues that the welfare model behind the Baiada building is anything but state-of-the-art. He highlights the problem of rapid chicken growth, where animals are selectively bred to grow at extraordinary speeds, causing health issues.
Goodfellow points to healthier, slower-growing breeds being used in European countries, like Norway, the Netherlands, and France, where welfare standards are steadily improving.
The RSPCA has updated its welfare standards to promote lower stocking density, variable light intensity in sheds, and phasing out of the electrical water bath stunning method. These changes must be implemented by January 2031 for businesses to maintain RSPCA certification. The RSPCA is also pushing for the adoption of slower-growing breeds, which would lead to better welfare outcomes but would come at a higher cost for producers.
Still, Tensen emphasizes that consumers can make a difference by supporting this transition through their purchasing decisions.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
