Chicken Gassing Billboard Campaign ‘Takes the Public’s Breath Away’

Gasping for Life digital billboards appeared across London last week, as Viva!, the UK’s leading vegan campaigning charity, drew attention to the gassing of hundreds of millions of chickens each year in the UK.

• Viva! launched striking digital billboards across London to expose the widespread use of CO₂ gassing in the chicken industry
• The seven billboards highlighted that over three-quarters of the one billion UK chickens killed each year are gassed to death
• Public reactions revealed widespread horror and disbelief, with many people expressing disgust and concern after learning how chickens are killed
• Viva! says that CO₂ gassing causes extreme suffering and is urging consumers to go vegan

December 2025: Viva!, the UK’s leading vegan campaigning charity, stopped Londoners in their tracks last week with a series of digital billboards that shine a light on the horrors of chicken gassing.

Viva!’s Gasping for Life billboards featured a parrot, a cockatiel and a fluffy yellow chick under the words: “They all want to live but one is going to burn from the inside out.” Below, the text informed readers that 78 per cent of UK chickens are gassed to death. 

Few consumers realise how widespread chicken gassing is. In the UK, over one billion chickens are slaughtered every year. Of these, 77 per cent of chickens bred for meat and 99.6 per cent of hens used in the egg industry are gassed. The same method is used to kill nearly every male chick born into the egg industry – lives cut short because they are considered mere ‘waste products’.

The billboards, which reached around two million people throughout Black Friday week, challenged consumers to consider the impact their food choices have on animals. On Monday 23 November, the day the billboards went live, Viva! campaigners were in London engaging with members of the public about the cruelty of chicken gassing and encouraging them to adopt a vegan diet.

Public reactions revealed how appalled many UK consumers are once they learn about the practice. Passers-by were seen staring at the billboards in shock, while those who took part in interviews with Viva!’s team shared their disgust and horror. One visibly shaken man said: “I had no idea chickens were killed like that… it looks horrific.” Another commented: “I’m not sure what I was expecting to see, but I definitely didn’t think it would be this bad.”

Kit McGrath, a campaigner at Viva!, said: “These outreach events always highlight how important it is for the meat industry that consumers remain uneducated; the moment we show people the realities of factory farming and animal slaughter, they rethink their choices. The UK is a nation of animal lovers, so we not only believe that chickens deserve much better, but that consumers do too – they deserve to know the truth. Our Gasping for Life billboards are a vital part of Viva!’s educational outreach, and we were delighted to see them go live across London.”

Despite what the meat industry may claim, gassing is inhumane and causes immense suffering. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) gassing – the most commonly used method – kills chickens by starving their brains of oxygen. In the lead-up to death, the gas mixture forms a painful acidic layer on their eyes, throat and lungs, making them feel as if they are burning from the inside out. Chickens scream in fear, panic, and thrash violently as they try to escape the gas chamber.

Chickens are not the only farmed animals subjected to this profoundly cruel slaughter method: around 90 per cent of the 10 million pigs slaughtered each year in the UK are also subjected to gas stunning. 

“Chickens and pigs are some of the most appallingly abused animals on the planet,” added McGrath. “Gassing is horrendous: it’s almost impossible to describe in words what a terrible death it is. The sooner individuals take action and go vegan, the sooner we can bring this suffering to an end.”

 ENDS 

Notes 

• Viva! is a registered charity (number 1037486) and the UK’s leading vegan campaigning organisation
• Chicken gassing remains a core focus of Viva!’s Gasping for Life campaign, more information on which can be found here – Viva! – Gasping for Life
• The billboards were in Bethnal Green, Clapham Junction, Covent Garden, Deptford, Hackney, Wapping and Waterloo Wall between 23 November and 1 December
• For assets and further information, including access to Viva! spokespeople, contact Rachael Simpson-Jones, PR manager at Viva! – rachael@viva.org.uk