Poultry welfare: science or subjectivity?

1. Most people in the developed world agree on what 'animal welfare' is, although it is impossible to give it a precise scientific definition.

2. The argument is made that animal welfare is all to do with the feelings of animals and not the primary needs that these feeling have evolved to protect.

3. Acceptance of subjective feelings as a legitimate subject for scientific investigation has a long and well-established history in science. This acceptance was interrupted by the rise of Behaviorism in the 20th century, but now seems to be re-established.

4. Subjective feelings cannot be studied directly. However, in the animal welfare debate, indirect evidence on feelings is extremely useful, and methods for obtaining this indirect evidence are described.

5. The poultry species are capable of feeling several states of suffering including fear, frustration and pain. A start has been made to elucidate these states and the conditions that cause them, but much remains to be done. Recent evidence suggests that the poultry species may also be capable of experiencing pleasure.

6. It is concluded that, although poultry welfare is all to do with the subjective feelings of the birds, it is possible to be objective and scientific about these feelings. Investigation into poultry welfare, therefore, really is science rather than subjectivity.