Over 60 million chickens in England and Wales rejected over disease and defects

Slaughterhouse figures from a three-year period highlight poor conditions in Britain's poultry sector, say campaigners

More than 61 million chickens were rejected because of diseases and defects at slaughterhouses in England and Wales over a three-year period, according to figures analysed by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Guardian.

Broilers, chickens raised for meat, were the worst affected with almost 59 million defects recorded. More than 39 million broilers arrived and were rejected at slaughter due to disease - approximately 35,000 every day.