Auditing Guidance for the US Better Chicken Commitment
To be compliant with the US Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), a company that adopted the BCC policy must ensure the chickens in its supply are third-party audited annually and meet all the BCC standards for stocking density, approved breeds, controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS), and improved environment, including the litter, lighting, and enrichment standards.
| BCC Standard | Required Standards and Protocol | Recommended Standards and Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| Maintain a maximum stocking density of 6.0 lbs./sq. foot and prohibit all forms of broiler cages | The space allowance provided to the broilers from the stage of placement (or on-farm hatching) to catching must be such that at the time of catching, the birds have at least 1 square foot of usable floor space per 6 pounds of live chicken weight. No caged systems are permitted. | During the audit, information should be collected on the number of chicks placed, cumulative mortality at the time of the audit, the average live weight at catching, and the internal square footage of each chicken house. The final stocking density can be calculated using the following equation: Stocking density = [(Number of chicks placed − cumulative mortality) × weight at slaughter] / total chicken house usable space The stocking density criterion should be assessed both during the on-farm visit and as an average over the last 3 flocks, at a minimum. |
| Use only BCC-approved breeds that demonstrate higher welfare outcomes* | The annual audit must check farm records or invoices for chicks to ensure approved breeds are used. *Breeds that have been approved for use to meet the BCC: JA757, JACY57, JA787, JA957, JA987, JACY87, or Norfolk Black; Rowan Ranger, Rambler Ranger, Ranger Classic, Ranger Premium, or Ranger Gold; REDBRO, RedbroM; Cobb-Sasso 200 (CS200), Cooks Venture Pioneer, or others that pass the breed welfare outcome assessments by either the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) or Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) | For any other breeds not on this list, please contact a BCC signatory group directly, through the BCC website, or info@betterchickencommitment.com to check the breed’s status. The current and complete list of approved breeds may always be accessed on the policy page. |
| At least 3 inches of friable litter covering the whole floor of the house, managed to maintain dry, friable condition and prevent caked or wet areas | All houses must have at least 3 inches of friable litter covering the whole floor of the house, managed to maintain dry, friable condition and prevent caked or wet areas. The litter management within each house and for each flock must be recorded for auditing. | Records should show litter depth is maintained throughout the birds’ lives and the litter remains dry and friable, which can be assessed by direct observation of litter quality and/or assessments of bird feather cleanliness, footpad health, and/or hock health. |
| At minimum 8 hours of continuous light (≥50 lux) and 6 hours of continuous darkness daily (<1 lux) | All houses must have artificial or natural sources of light that provide 8 hours of continuous light, at a minimum ≥50 lux averaged throughout the house, during daylight hours, and 6 hours of continuous darkness daily (<1 lux). Lighting patterns must be recorded within each house and for each flock for auditing. | The lighting criterion should be in place by the time chickens are at least 7 days of age but is exclusive to the 24 hours prior to sending birds to slaughter. Natural sources of light are strongly encouraged as best practice to support the behavioral needs of the chickens and achieve a higher level of chicken welfare. |
| One or more types of functional enrichment (such as perches, platforms, or straw bales) that multiple birds can use at any time. | The enrichments must be available by 10 days old and maintained thereafter, dispersed throughout the house and available to the entire flock with 1 enrichment for every 1,000 sq. ft or 1 enrichment per 1000 birds, at a minimum. The enrichments must be dispersed throughout the flock so all chickens within the house have access to and use the enrichments provided. Approved Enrichment Types:
| During the audit, the auditor should verify that the enrichment was in place for all houses and flocks through on-farm visits and reviews of documentation. |
| Process chickens in a manner that avoids pre-stun handling and instead utilizes a multi-step controlled-atmosphere processing system that induces an irreversible stun | Chickens must be slaughtered using a system that avoids pre-stun handling, including live dumping and inversion, and uses a multi-step controlled-atmosphere processing system that induces an irreversible stun that renders them unconscious. Chickens must be confirmed as effectively stunned. Any chickens ineffectively stunned must be promptly stunned before exsanguination. | The system should allow the chickens to stay in the transport container (drawer, module, coop, cage, etc. in which they were placed when caught on the farm) until irreversibly stunned by CAS processing. Auditors should check the CAS system in place at the slaughter facility and make note of:
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| Demonstrate compliance with all standards via third-party auditing and annual public reporting on progress toward this commitment | An outside, third-party agency (independent of the company and its supplier) must conduct an audit once a year (with no more than 15 months between each audit), and the audit must ensure all participating farms and slaughter facilities within the program meet all the BCC criteria listed above.* To demonstrate compliance, the annual program audit must include documentation from each farm and slaughter facility submitted to the third-party agency. All farms and slaughter facilities within a program must also be visited in-person at least once every three years by the third-party agency to remain compliant with the BCC. Note: The BCC signatory organizations do not audit the BCC program. The company with the BCC policy is responsible for ensuring the BCC standards are upheld at the participating farms and slaughter facilities. The independent auditing company is responsible for assessing whether or not the BCC standards have been met. For any company wanting to label its products as BCC compliant, or communicating their BCC compliance at point of sale (online or in-store), the product must meet all BCC components and prior approval must be obtained by contacting a BCC signatory group directly, through the BCC website, or info@betterchickencommitment.com. | The auditing process in place is expected to ensure that the BCC requirements aimed at improving the welfare of the chickens are properly implemented through all stages of these animals’ lives, outside the BCC criteria (e.g., transport). Qualification of the auditors It is recommended to choose qualified auditors who are trained and experienced in performing animal welfare audits on broiler farms and at slaughter. Proof of qualifications and training should be requested. Time and place of the audit The audit should be carried out in-person on farms and at the slaughter facilities, and not be purely documentary. Audits should ideally be unannounced. If announced, they should be announced no earlier than 48 hours before the suggested visit. Frequency of the audit It is strongly recommended that ALL slaughter facilities and ALL supplying broiler farms within the program are audited on-site at least once a year, with no more than 15 months between consecutive audits. Dealing with non-compliance to full BCC criteria If a farm or a slaughter facility is not compliant with the BCC criteria it claims to meet, a non-conformance should be issued by the auditor and a corrective action plan generated. The non-compliant farm or facility should be re-audited within 2 to 3 months and able to demonstrate compliance at the second audit. Failing this, the farm or facility should be considered non-compliant. Prior to full BCC compliance It is recommended to begin auditing farms that are implementing BCC criteria over time. Annual third-party auditing can begin before full implementation of all the BCC criteria to ensure reliable audits for public progress reporting. See Reporting Guidance Document for more information (in development in 2024). |