Chick firm responds to animal rights group’s undercover investigation in Boston

A firm that produces millions of chicks for the poultry meat industry has accepted some of its employees failed to meet expected standards of chick handling and welfare.

It comes after an undercover investigation by an animal rights group.

The RSPCA has suspended its ‘RSPCA Assured’ certificate for the hatchery run by Annyalla Chicks Ltd near Boston, and the company says its has already taken action with some employees.

The Animal Justice Project (AJP) claims it undertook an operation at the site in Butterwick over several days in 2023, during which video footage of the production lines was taken.

Annyalla Chicks produces three million day-old chicks for the broiler industry each week, and was awarded ‘hatchery of the year’ at the National Egg and Poultry Awards in 2022.

A spokesperson for Annyalla Chicks said: “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 company insists much of AJP’s claims are ‘inaccurate, misleading, or simply wrong’, and that they prioritise the chicks’ welfare “at every stage”.

The firm spokesperson added: "We have addressed this with the staff involved and we have taken further action to ensure this does not happen again.

“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 told 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 also points to what it calls “inhumane” disposal methods as sick or injured live chicks are disposed of by being swiftly shredded in a bladed machine.

According to RSPCA standards, the method, known as maceration, is a legal and accepted means of killing chicks which are deemed unsuitable for the meat market.

Annyalla Chicks has confirmed to the Standard that they use the maceration method.

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 called for greater accountability and stricter enforcement of welfare standards – adding, “It's time for a fundamental shift towards a plant-based agricultural model that prioritises animal rights and compassion."