An undercover investigator for Mercy for Animals, a non-profit animal protection charity, captured the footage at a contract farm for the supermarket chain.

This comes soon after the charity exposed the names of major retailers that are lagging behind in their efforts to address welfare issues associated with chickens raised for meat.

Aldi is among the companies that ranked the lowest for standard practices in the chicken industry.

Animal cruelty on chicken farms

The hidden-camera footage shows tens of thousands of chickens packed into overcrowded sheds, forced to live in waste-soaked litter for weeks. The investigator also documented countless birds, including day-old chicks, suffering from severe open wounds, twisted necks and beaks, and other serious injuries.

Many of these conditions arise from the way chickens are routinely bred to grow unnaturally large over a short space of time. This inflicts a huge amount of physical and mental stress on the birds.

In the hard-hitting video, workers are seen hurling sick and injured live birds into buckets to die. Some were crushed under the weight of corpses piled on top of them.

In light of the footage, Mercy for Animals is calling on Aldi to adopt meaningful animal welfare standards for all its chicken suppliers. The charity is urging Aldi to undertake the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), which requires extra space, litter, and lighting, as well as environmental enrichments. 

As a way for individuals to take action, Mercy for Animals encourages eliminating animal products altogether. It states on its Aldi Uncovered website: “We can end this cruel, unsustainable system. By choosing plant-based foods, we can build a food system that is good for animals, people, and our planet.”

The post New Investigation Uncovers Severe Animal Cruelty In Aldi Supply Chain appeared first on Plant Based News.

This means they can technically be advertised as free range, since they haven’t lived long enough to be considered otherwise.

Compassion in World Farming’s chief policy adviser Peter Stevenson told the Guardian: “It’s a terrible situation for farmers, but if a free-range chicken has never been allowed outdoors in its life that should be made clear to consumers.”

Does free-range equal ethical treatment?

The bird flu risk in the UK has now dropped down to “medium” from “high,” and this means that from early May, birds not in protected zones can be let outside again.

But free range doesn’t necessarily equal high standards of animal welfare. Birds kept in multi-tier sheds, for example, can still be deemed free range if they have some outside access, even though they are crammed in with thousands of other birds.

In the UK, roughly one billion chickens are factory farmed every year. Broiler chickens (chickens raised for meat) are often bred to grow unnaturally fast. This puts a significant strain on their limbs and organs and often leads to serious health problems.

Free range or not, egg-laying or broiler, chickens often suffer immensely in factory farm conditions.

In 2017, British journalist and self-confessed animal liberationist Chas Newkey-Burden wrote for the Guardian: “Of all [the industry’s] cons, the “free-range” egg is perhaps the most audacious.”

“You’d need Disney-level imagination to believe the UK can produce more than 10 billion eggs each year without inconveniencing any chickens.”

The post UK Chickens Can Legally Be Labeled Free Range, Despite Never Going Outside appeared first on Plant Based News.

It was November 2021 when the H5N1 strain of bird flu began to seriously alarm farmers in the UK.

The virus – which is highly contagious among chickens and can be fatal – began to sweep across England and Scotland, with separate outbreaks springing up in China and Israel, among other areas.

In December, UK farmers slaughtered of at least half a million birds in an attempt to curb the spread.

Bird-to-human transmissions of the virus are considered rare, but not impossible. In January, it was reported that the the H5N1 strain of avian bird flu had infected a human for the first time in the UK.

It’s estimated that around 700 similar cases have occurred worldwide over the past ten years.

According to the NHS, those in a country which has experienced an outbreak of the virus should ensure they wash their hands “often with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling food, in particular raw poultry.”

They should also use different utensils for cooked and raw meat, and ensure the animal flesh is “cooked until steaming hot.” They should also not eat raw eggs.

Why are there no free-range eggs in the UK?

The “free-range” chickens who were spared from the culls were moved indoors to help prevent the outbreaks from escalating. Government policy dictates that egg producers can keep their chickens in housing temporarily – for up to 16 weeks – if it is required to protect public health.

But as of Monday, March 21, the animals had been inside for longer than this grace period. Therefore, any eggs produced by these birds can no longer be legally labeled “free-range.” Instead, they are now considered “barn eggs.”

Prior to this, roughly 55 percent of eggs produced in the UK were considered free-range by the RSPCA.

Supermarkets are now placing signs explaining the circumstances to shoppers. The virtual ban on the free-range label will remain until the chickens are able to go outside once again, according to current policy.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for all bird owners and vigilance remains vital,” Aimee Mahony, chief poultry adviser at the National Farmers’ Union, said in a statement.

“Poultry farmers continue to do all they can to ensure the health and welfare of their flocks, including following stringent biosecurity measures and adding additional enrichments to the bird’s environment such as pecking blocks and dust baths.”

“Shoppers may notice different labels on egg packs as well as point-of-sale information explaining that the eggs have been laid by hens temporarily housed to protect their health and welfare.”

“Once the risk levels have reduced and the housing measures have been lifted by Defra, birds will be able to go outside again.”

It’s not the first time this has happened. A 2017 outbreak of the bird flu saw farmers keeping their chickens in captivity for months, again risking the free-range label.

Are free-range eggs actually ethical?

The news may unsettle some UK consumers, given the public’s general attitude towards barn and free-range eggs.

In 2015, a OnePoll survey released alongside British Egg Week unveiled that 80 percent of UK shoppers regularly purchase free-range eggs.

Then in 2020, YouGov data found that more than half (53 percent) of Britons are most likely to associate higher animal welfare standards with the term “free range.”

But most Brits were not aware of some of the methods used in the industry, the research discovered. For example, a majority of participants (62 percent) said they were not sure how often beak trimming took place, despite it being common practice in both the free-range and broader egg industry.

Beak trimming, or “debeaking,” involves burning off sections of the beaks of chicks as young as one day old. This is completed without anaesthetic and is done to prevent the animals from pecking at each other.

Such aggression is common in the egg and chicken industry due to the high number of birds confined together. Even free-range birds are kept in sheds at night, author Chas Newkey-Burden explained in an op-ed for the Guardian. Newkey-Burden wrote that free-range sheds can legally keep up to nine birds per one square meter.

Meanwhile, multi-tier sheds, which are still considered free range, can house upwards of 15,000 hens.

“So while these poor birds can theoretically go outdoors, they can also be too crammed in and too traumatized to find the few exit holes,” Newkey-Burden wrote, adding that we put the animals through “hell.”

The problem with the egg industry

The egg industry also involves the culling of all male chicks; these animals are considered a by-product of the sector since they do not lay eggs, and raising them for meat is not cost-effective. Instead, they are thrown into grinders at one day, or just hours, old.

The number of eggs traditionally laid by chickens is also not considered cost-effective. Because of this, producers have, over time, selectively bred chickens to increase egg volume. In the wild, hens lay just 12 eggs a year, according to the Humane League.

In contrast, chickens in modern farms can lay one a day, marking a nearly 3,000 percent increase.

This takes a toll on chickens’ health, leading to an increased risk of heart failure.

According to the aforementioned YouGov poll, one in six Brits believe UK farms have “very high” animal welfare standards. Just five percent of vegans and vegetarians thought the same.

The post Free-Range Eggs No Longer Available In The UK Due To Bird Flu Crisis appeared first on Plant Based News.

The organization maintains that the government’s current system promotes the breeding of “Frankenchickens.”

These birds are selectively bred for rapid growth for economic reasons, resulting in a myriad of health complications.

Ninety percent of chickens raised for meat — or around 900 million chickens — grow unnaturally fast and to unnaturally large sizes, according to The Humane League.

This leaves the animals struggling to hold up their own weight, often suffering from high blood pressure, broken bones, muscular diseases, and cardiac arrest as a result.

“For decades the animal industry has selectively bred chickens to grow faster and faster — these animals grow 400 percent faster than they did in the 1950s,” commented The Humane League UK senior public affairs lead Amro Hussain.

“Today they reach slaughter weight at only five weeks old – they’re just babies. The results are huge, often immobile birds, who struggle to walk, get burned by their own waste, suffer heart-attacks and whose flesh is streaked with fat.

“We call them ‘Frankenchickens’ because we have created a genetic monster, animals who live lives of inescapable misery,” Hussain stated.

Harmful selective breeding is not exclusive to the meat industry. A recent study found that 97 percent of laying hens in the egg industry have broken bones. On average, each chicken had three, while others had up to 11.

Breach of the law

The Humane League says this concept violates the UK’s own animal welfare regulations.

The Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations 2007 states that animals can only be kept for farming if their genetic makeup does not have a detrimental impact on their health or welfare.

As such, The Humane League has filed a judicial review against Defra. The initial hearing will take place on March 22, 2022.

Edie Bowles, a solicitor at Advocates for Animals, is representing the animal protection group for the case.

“The law clearly prohibits the keeping of farmed animals who experience detriment to their health or welfare due to their genes. The science shows that fast-growing chickens slaughtered for meat cannot be kept without such detriment. As such it is our position that keeping these birds is unlawful,” Bowles said.

“We hope a ruling will force Defra to take responsibility and stop allowing these birds to suffer.”

The post UK Government Taken To Court For Turning Meat Industry Chickens Into ‘Genetic Monsters’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

This is after footage recorded the disposal of thousands of dead chickens at an “intensive” facility in Lincolnshire which supplies eggs to major supermarkets including Aldi, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons.

Animal welfare campaigners are calling for the UK government to ban factory farming in its wake, as it claims the conditions mean diseases spread “like wildfire.”

Bird flu outbreak at Lincolnshire supplier

Open Cages, an animal protection charity, obtained the footage at Ivy House Farm in Alford. The company which owns it is LJ Fairburn. Here, it produces and packs a staggering 17 million eggs a week for the consumption of British shoppers.

In disturbing scenes, the footage shows thousands of dead chickens as they loaded and removed from the premises following an outbreak of bird flu. According to Open Cages, they will likely be gassed to death.

Alarmingly, the organization maintains, wheelbarrows of dead birds were left in the open air. This is despite bird viruses being present in air samples more than 100 meters from infected farms.

Deadly disease

Moreover, the farm declared its outbreak on December 11. And, according to the footage, was actively culling birds up until December 22.

“These images should shock us more than they do,” protests Open Cages CEO Connor Jackson. 

“Bird flu was once a very rare disease among chickens, but today there are outbreaks occurring every year: this footage helps explain why. 

“When you take tens of thousands of chronically stressed animals and cram them into a filthy indoor facility you create an ideal environment for disease. 

“The more the animals suffer, the more stressed they become, and the less their immune systems can cope. Deadly diseases like bird flu can then emerge easily or give foreign strains the perfect breeding ground,” he adds.

UK outbreak

Tragically, these chickens are just a small number when compared to the millions who have already perished as a result of the avian influenza sweeping the nation.

This is because the UK is currently witnessing the “largest-ever” outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu. It’s prompted government officials to install stringent biodiversity measures across British farms.

Infected animals include chickens, turkeys, pheasants, ducks, and even swans. 

The picture remains grave in other countries too. This follows the news that 5,000 cranes and half a million chickens were ordered to be killed in Israel.

The post Thousands Of Chickens Culled In Lincolnshire Bird Flu Outbreak appeared first on Plant Based News.

Despite the cranes being migratory, it’s understood they caught the disease from a swarm of bird farms.

Bird flu in Israel

The disaster is being branded the “most serious damage to wildlife” in the country’s history. This is according to environmental protection minister Tamar Zandberg, The Guardian reports.

Hula Lake Park is the location where the crane population is mainly based.

Here, thousands of the species pass through year on year as they voyage to Africa.

But as of this week, government officials were seen in hazmat suits scrambling to dispose of the carcasses as quickly as possible to contain the disease.

And around the area, half a million chickens are being slaughtered. An agriculture ministry spokesperson confirmed the birds are being culled to prevent the disease from spreading.

Now, the environment and health ministries are monitoring the outbreak.

Global outbreaks

Other countries around the world have been on high alert as severe bird flu cases cropped up in China, Japan, Norway, Belgium, and the UK this winter.

In fact, the UK is currently witnessing its “largest-ever” outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain. Government officials voiced concerns as the virus swept through turkey, chicken, duck, geese, and swan populations.

Scientists and animal rights campaigners alike maintain the easiest way to curb the virus is by dismantling factory farming for good.

This is because bird flu, like many zoonotic diseases, can spread easily when animals are kept in cramped conditions.

As Juliet Gellatley of vegan charity Viva! explains: “It is human commercial activities, particularly those associated with poultry, that are the major factors responsible for the global spread of bird flu.”

The post 5,000 Cranes And Half A Million Chickens Slaughtered Amid Israel Bird Flu Eruption appeared first on Plant Based News.

Mercy For Animals, a non-profit striving to end animal exploitation in the food system, published the report yesterday. 

The charity collated information from leading retailers to better understand the conditions faced by the billions of birds being raised for food across the US. This includes the amount of light and enrichments provided for birds, how much space each animal receives, and the processes used for slaughter, among other factors.

Some companies, like Sprouts Farmers Market and Whole Foods Market, have adopted the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC). The welfare policy stipulates that for every 1,000 birds, at least two meters of usable perch space must be provided. 

Further, cages or multi-tier systems cannot be used, and suppliers must comply with all EU animal welfare laws and regulations, regardless of which country they produce in. 

But not all retailers have stepped up. Many of the country’s leading supermarkets have fallen flat by not publishing broiler welfare policies that “meaningfully address the most critical welfare concerns,” the report says.

“Of companies with published policies at all, standards fall short of those of the BCC. They have failed to ban practices that promote the greatest suffering in their broiler chicken supply chains,” it adds.

The following retailers were identified as lagging: 

• ALDI
• BJ’s Wholesale Club
• Golub Corporation (brands include Price Chopper and Market 32) 
• H-E-B 
• Hy-Vee 
• Publix 
• Raley’s 
• Southeastern Grocers (brands include Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más, and Harveys) 
• Stater Bros. Markets 
• Target 
• Trader Joe’s 
• Wakefern (brands include ShopRite, Price Rite, and The Fresh Grocer) 
• Walmart (brands include Walmart and Sam’s Club) 
• Wegmans 
• Weis Markets

‘Shocking’ standard practices

Every year, more than nine billion chickens are killed for their meat in the country – more than any other land animal used for food, according to Mercy For Animals.

“Standard practices in the chicken industry would shock most consumers,” the report reads. 

The “overwhelming majority” of broilers in the US have been “aggressively bred for rapid growth,” it adds. This often leads to organ stress, heart disease, and immobility. 

“Birds live crowded together in sheds on waste-soaked litter, which leads to ammonia burns and respiratory problems. They are killed at five to seven weeks of age, typically through live-shackle slaughter, a method whereby chickens are shackled upside down while fully conscious and dragged through electrified water,” the report explains. 

Leah Garcés, president of Mercy For Animals, called on companies to do more to improve animal welfare. 

“Kroger and Albertsons, the country’s two largest supermarket companies, have begun making meaningful progress on key chicken welfare issues. But others—such as Target, ALDI, and Winn-Dixie—have failed to take action to prohibit the worst practices and reduce suffering for the chickens in their supply chains,” Garcés said in a statement.

“Retailers know people care about animals,” they added. “By adopting the standards of the Better Chicken Commitment, grocery stores and supermarkets can address growing consumer concern for how animals are raised and slaughtered.”

‘Humane slaughter’ 

However, some animal advocates argue that there is no humane way to slaughter animals. As such, concerns about animal welfare have moved a growing number of people to adopt a plant-based diet. 

Earlier this year, the Veganuary campaign attracted more participants than ever before. Nearly 600,000 people from 2019 countries signed up to the 31-day vegan eating challenge. Animal welfare was identified as the top reason for those taking the pledge, with 46 percent of participants citing it as such. 

The post Walmart, Target, ALDI: Report Exposes ‘Worst’ US Grocery Chains For Chicken Welfare appeared first on Plant Based News.

According to reports, the birds died from hypothermia after power cuts swept the DB Chicks Limited site in 2019.

It’s understood to be the largest mass agricultural death in Aotearoa’s history.

Chickens dead following power cut

The farm manager was unaware of the power cuts because the alarm had been installed some years prior, the NZ Herald reports.

Concerns led the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to launch an investigation, lasting more than a year. However, the MPI did not pursue prosecution – despite causing controversy among animal rights advocates.

The news outlet obtained an investigation summary, which explains the reasons why the Crown Prosecution Service made that decision.

According to said documents, the deaths were caused by “uncontrolled ambient temperature and humidity in the sheds,” which prevented the backup generator from kicking in.

Because the power cut meant the alarm didn’t go off, the manager was unable to act “until it was too late.”

The MPI concluded that the manager took all reasonable steps to ensure animal welfare was ensured.

New Zealand animal welfare outrage

But animal rights campaigners say it raises “deeply concerning” questions about the country’s animal welfare systems.

In a statement sent to PBN, SAFE for Animals campaigns manager Jessica Chambers exclaimed: “Either MPI’s audit was conducted poorly, or our animal welfare system needs an overhaul.

“Even the most novice internet user knows that a router won’t work without power. If MPI had been thorough, this animal welfare disaster could have been avoided.

“The farm had a responsibility to ensure that these birds were not going to die as a result of hyperthermia and suffocation. And they failed to do that. 

“MPI was responsible for ensuring the farm’s equipment was up to standard and they also failed to do so. It’s hard to comprehend that no party here has been held accountable for the loss of nearly 200,000 lives.”

The post New Zealand Broiler Farm Slammed After Power Cut Kills 179,000 Chickens appeared first on Plant Based News.

In what animal rights campaigners describe as “franken-chickens” (a play on Frankenstein) – birds bred to grow far past their natural size – the footage depicts a horrifying picture.

‘Franken-chickens’

Animal advocacy organization Open Cages investigated Cuttings Farm and Silver Drift Farm in the UK earlier this year.

Both are operated by Banham Poultry and are accredited by the Red Tractor Assurance scheme.

Despite this, the charity says it witnessed the “franken-chickens” suffering serious deformities. Some collapsed under their own weight, left to live among carcasses, some of the birds even eating them.

“Thousands had red, sore burns on their skin from laying in their own waste,” the charity stressed.

Veterinarian Andrew Knight says the animals will very likely be experiencing “significant and prolonged suffering.”

Morrisons slammed

Supermarket giant Morrisons has been slammed for its choice of suppliers in the past. This has prompted a campaign backed by environmentalist and presenter Chris Packham.

Campaigners are urging Morrisons to sign the Better Chicken Commitment, a welfare policy aimed at stopping the fast-growth high-yield breeding of chickens in animal agriculture. This is part of the Morrisons Misery campaign, which Open Cages endorses.

CEO Connor Jackson told PBN: “Retail giants like Morrisons will slap on a ‘welfare assured’ label, produce a teary-eyed TV ad. And, say they care deeply whilst dozens of investigations reveal shocking, systematic animal cruelty happening behind closed doors.”

“Once again, our footage shows that a franken-chicken is doomed to suffer. This is why hundreds of companies like M&S, Waitrose, KFC, and retailers all over Europe have pledged to stop selling them. 

“Morrisons, on the other hand, seems committed to cruelty and outdated practices. 

“I hope for the animals’ sake that there are still voices inside the company who recognize that this cannot continue in 21st century Britain.”

You can find out more about the campaign here

The post Morrisons Chicken Supplier Slammed For Cruel ‘Franken-Chickens’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

The BCC’s animal welfare criteria includes providing chickens with perches, natural light, and more space. Further, slow-growing breeds must be used in lieu of the chickens raised for food now, who are bred to grow as quickly as possible at the expense of their health and wellbeing.

According to animal rights group Animals Aotearoa, these fast-growing breeds can live for just six weeks. In their final weeks of life, they gain more than 50 grams a day. 

This leaves chickens collapsing under their own weight, and developing a myriad of health conditions such as wooden breast, whereby muscle cells die off. Further, fast-growing chickens are twice as likely to die prematurely. 

‘The right thing to do’

David Burness, CEO of Domino’s Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), said the company is “proud” to be the first fast food restaurant chain in either country to sign up. 

In a statement, he said: “At Domino’s we do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, and we recognize that doing the right thing includes taking care of our environment, and the food we source from our suppliers and serve to our customers.”

The improved animal welfare commitments will be in place at more than 850 Domino’s locations across ANZ by 2026.

‘Wake-up call’

Animals Aotearoa executive director Marianne Macdonald hopes Domino’s decision will act as a “wake-up call” to its competitors. 

“It is fantastic that Domino’s has listened to customer concerns about animal welfare and responsibly acted on the demand for change. Now their competitors must also do right by their customers and follow Domino’s responsible lead,” she said to RNZ.

But according to the publication, KFC has “refused to say if it will sign up” too. Instead, the fried chicken chain has maintained that its suppliers stick to industry welfare codes. 

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