A agency that produces tens of millions of chicks for the poultry meat business has accepted a few of its staff failed to satisfy anticipated requirements of chick dealing with and welfare.
It comes after an undercover investigation by an animal rights group.
The RSPCA has suspended its ‘RSPCA Assured’ certificates for the hatchery run by Annyalla Chicks Ltd close to Boston, and the corporate says its has already taken motion with some staff.
The Animal Justice Project (AJP) claims it undertook an operation on the website in Butterwick over a number of days in 2023, throughout which video footage of the manufacturing strains was taken.
Annyalla Chicks produces three million day-old chicks for the broiler business every week, and was awarded ‘hatchery of the year’ on the National Egg and Poultry Awards in 2022.
A spokesperson for Annyalla Chicks stated: “There are parts of the footage in question that fall below the standard we expect of our employees.
“We do not tolerate this, especially where bird welfare is concerned. Staff undergo critical training on the handling and welfare of chicks prior to commencing any work, and are given continuous regular refresher courses, so it is disappointing to see a minority of our people fall short on this occasion.”
The firm insists a lot of AJP’s claims are ‘inaccurate, misleading, or simply wrong’, and that they prioritise the chicks’ welfare “at every stage”.
The agency spokesperson added: “We have addressed this with the workers concerned and now we have taken additional motion to make sure this doesn’t occur once more.
“Bird welfare is central to our business. We are fully accredited by third party audit bodies and are regularly audited to ensure high standards of operation.
“Our chicks are our most valuable asset, so we prioritise their welfare at every stage. Chicks must be handled appropriately, are given fresh water and nutrition, and all processes are monitored by senior team members.
“We acknowledge that people can make poor decisions, but we are committed to putting the right measures in place to rectify any issues. Our focus remains on maintaining impeccable standards of bird welfare at all times.”
After seeing the footage obtained by the AJP, an RSPCA spokesperson informed us: “It’s really distressing to see this footage. This site has never hatched chicks for RSPCA Assured certified farms.
“Chicks hatched for RSPCA Assured farms can only be slower-growing breeds, and are not the faster-growing breeds shown in this footage. However, as the site holds an RSPCA Assured certificate it means it could hatch chicks for an RSPCA Assured chicken farm in future.
“As such, for the protection of any chicks that may in future be hatched for RSPCA Assured farms, we have suspended their certificate whilst we conduct a full investigation.
“Animal welfare is our sole priority, as such we have reported the farm to the Animal and Plant Health Agency, a government body who are fully equipped to carry out independent investigations into animal welfare concerns.”
The AJP additionally factors to what it calls “inhumane” disposal strategies as sick or injured dwell chicks are disposed of by being swiftly shredded in a bladed machine.
According to RSPCA requirements, the strategy, often known as maceration, is a authorized and accepted technique of killing chicks that are deemed unsuitable for the meat market.
Annyalla Chicks has confirmed to the Standard that they use the maceration methodology.
The spokesperson added: “The only chicks that are culled in this way are sick or injured chicks which represent a small fraction of a percentage of all chicks hatched at Boston. The process is carried out in line with strict HSA (Humane Slaughter Association) guidelines.”
A spokesperson for the Animal Justice Project known as for larger accountability and stricter enforcement of welfare requirements – including, “It’s time for a elementary shift in the direction of a plant-based agricultural mannequin that prioritises animal rights and compassion.”
