Over the last few decades, corporatized, industrialized agriculture has largely replaced America’s independent small farms—with catastrophic consequences for animals. While there is no strict definition, industrialized “factory farms” are characterized by extreme confinement of large numbers of animals with practices designed to maximize efficiency and profit, and little regard for animals’ well-being, sentience or natural behaviors. Factory farms often use animals bred to produce unnatural amounts of eggs, milk or meat, causing painful disorders and lameness. Mostly mechanized, there is little individualized attention, contributing to neglect of sick or suffering animals. These farms also frequently administer routine, low doses of antibiotics just to keep animals alive in unhealthy environments. Sadly, most of the more than 9 billion farm animals raised for food in this country now live in these kinds of industrialized facilities. While some welfare-certified farms are still factory-like in some ways, the certifications we point to signify meaningfully better welfare than standard industry products.

In the U.S., there are more chickens raised for meat than any other land animal raised for food. Nearly 9 billion chickens are slaughtered each year in the U.S. Most of those birds are raised in giant, crowded sheds and bred to grow unnaturally fast, with massive chests for breast meat. Unable to support this weight, many birds spend virtually their entire lives sitting in their own waste, their breasts and legs developing open sores. In addition to being inhumane, these practices can promote foodborne illnesses, and chicken now causes more outbreaks and hospitalizations than any other animal food. Through our Truth About Chicken campaign, the ASPCA has worked to educate Americans about chickens’ plight and call on the chicken industry to improve their lives. Over the last year, a few companies have begun acknowledging the need to address the welfare problems associated with fast growth of chickens. But most of the chicken in supermarkets still does not meet what we consider basic welfare standards (despite what some labels may claim). The Change Your Chicken challenge is about empowering consumers with the tools they need to find or demand meaningfully certified products. By shifting our buying habits for even 30 days, we send a clear message to the chicken industry that there is a growing movement demanding real change for billions of chickens. For more information on the welfare problems of industrialized poultry production, read our white paper.

1. Take the 30 day pledge not to purchase chicken from extreme factory farming conditions

2. If you eat chicken products, challenge yourself to find brands that are certified by either Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved or Global Animal Partnership levels 2 and above. Once you’re signed up, we will email you helpful tips, resources and facts to support you through this 30 day challenge.

3. Download and print this supermarket request card to hand to store managers when you can’t find higher-welfare certified products.

4. Share this challenge with your friends and family. We want 50,000 Americans to take this challenge. That’s a call for change the chicken industry can’t ignore!

You have a critical role to play! By taking the pledge and sharing it widely, you add your strength to this movement and can help your friends and family realize that many products come from terrible factory farms that they would not consider humane. So challenge three people you know who do buy chicken to take the pledge.

Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved and Global Animal Partnership (levels 2 and above) represent a range of higher-welfare practices, but all three certify that the chicken you’re buying was not subjected to the terrible crowding, filth, sickness and suffering found on the worst factory farms. All three certifications require on-farm audits, prohibit the use of antibiotics for growth promotion, set minimum space standards and require enriched environments for birds. Animal Welfare Approved and Global Animal Partnership levels 5+ have the highest welfare standards, requiring pasture access and more balanced, slower-growing breeds. Visit their websites to see their full standards and find certified animal-based foods.

We recognize that higher-welfare chicken products are difficult to find in some parts of the country and are often more expensive. The chicken industry is highly consolidated, with most chicken coming from just a handful of companies. That means limited choice for consumers. This challenge is about changing that situation for the sake of chickens and consumers. Check out the many resources we provide that help you identify and find certified products. Do your best. Even if you can’t find better products, you have a very important role to play. Download and print our supermarket request card and hand it to managers of stores in your area. Share the challenge with all of your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter or by email so they too can start thinking about their purchases, demanding better from stores and supporting change for chickens. We’re also happy to help. You can email ASPCA experts with questions at chicken@aspca.org

We hope participating in the Change Your Chicken Challenge inspires consumers to question the claims on packages and look for these third-party audited certifications whenever possible, not just on chicken but all animal products. Once you’ve completed the thirty-day challenge the fight is not over! Here are a few ways to help farm animals:

1. Share the Change Your Chicken Challenge with as many friends as you can! We’re just getting started.

2. Learn more about how farm animals are raised and the few laws that govern their treatment.

3. Download our meat, eggs and dairy label guide to avoid factory farmed animal products of all kinds and seek out trustworthy higher-welfare certifications whenever possible.

4. Sign up for our advocacy brigade to be the first to know when we need your help contacting state representatives to push for laws that protect farm animals.