Dutch supermarkets are stocking less fast-reared factory chicken, known as ‘plofkip’ or ‘exploding chicken’ in popular Dutch.

Spot checks by animal rights group Wakker Dier showed that 62% of supermarket chicken was fast-reared, down from 80% last year.

The checks were carried out in three branches of the ten biggest supermarkets. Jumbo, Dirk and Albert Heijn has the least fast-reared chicken. Hoogvliet has the most.

Last week, Lidl said it aimed to be the first supermarket to become completely free of fast-reared chicken. It did not, however, say, when it intends to achieve this.

In 2013, representatives of supermarkets, abattoirs and poultry farms agreed that from 2015, chickens reared for Dutch supermarkets would be of a slower-growing breed.