Horrific video obtained by an animal activists group has shown the ‘heartbreaking’ conditions at an egg farm in New Zealand’s north.
Direct Animal Action broke into the Zeagold Foods farm in Whangarei to record the hens earlier this month, with shocking footage showing cramped conditions and decomposing bodies.
The property is owned by Mainland Poultry, with a spokesperson for the company stating they were ‘extremely concerned’ about what was revealed, the NZ Herald reports.
Horrific video obtained by an animal activists group has shown the ‘heartbreaking’ conditions at a Whangarei egg farm in New Zealand’s north
In video, uploaded to DAA’s Facebook page Friday, the birds can be seen with raw skin and missing feathers as they stand in the cages.
Mice can also been seen running through cages, with eggs from the chickens littering the ground beneath.
‘The conditions that we’ve found are absolutely disgusting, it’s totally heartbreaking seeing the hens kept like this,’ one of the activists said.
While in the manure shoot area of the farm, the group record the grim discovery of at least six dead chickens.
‘We found a cesspit inside the farm building where we saw a number of dead hens floating in what looked like a combination of manure and water,’ DAA member Dee Sims told the NZ Herald.
Ms Sims added that it was among the worst conditions she had seen chickens living in and that it was ‘pretty unhygienic’.
Direct Animal Action broke into the Zeagold Foods farm in Whangarei to record the hens earlier this month, with shocking footage showing birds in cramped conditions and with missing feathers
While they also discovered a ‘cesspit’ with at least six dead and decomposing chickens ‘in what looked like a combination of manure and water’
In a statement, Mainland Poultry called the situation ‘completely unacceptable’ and not in line with their animal welfare practices or standards.
The spokesperson claimed that while the footage had been obtained illegally, they were grateful it had been brought to their attention.
A livestock management team was reportedly sent to the site Friday to begin an investigation, with ‘immediate corrective action’ issued.
The company is believed to produce a third of New Zealand’s eggs through Zeagold Foods, which states on its website their ‘laying birds are managed to the highest welfare standard’.
In a statement, Mainland Poultry called the situation ‘completely unacceptable’ and not in line with their animal welfare practices or standards, confirming they would be launching an investigation