Dr Hugh Wirth, President
RSPCA VICTORIA
3 Burwood Highway
Burwood East VIC 3151
Australia
Dear Dr Wirth:
Our office has received extremely disturbing documentation, including
photographs, of the treatment and living conditions of hens in both
the battery and Barn-laid divisions of the South Morang Enterprise,
owned by Pace Farms, the largest egg producer in Australia.
We understand that the RSPCA has a business relationship with Pace
Farms, which helps to explain why the RSPCA does not prosecute Pace
Farms for cruelty to animals. We see virtual amputation of the upper
mandible of "barn" hens to the nostrils; extreme overcrowding of
hens; crippling; emaciation; illness; and birds driven to
"cannibalism." We understand that eggs produced by hens under these
conditions are being sold as "humane barn-laid eggs," and that people
who think they are supporting humane farming in purchasing these eggs
are being charged nearly twice as much as those who buy eggs from
battery-caged hens.
Regarding Pace Farms' battery-caged hens and "barn" hens, here is one
of several reports from Animal Liberation Victoria:
On July 5th, the team returned to find the barn laid sheds cleared
out. Inside the cleared sheds, several hens were found cowering on
a pile of dead bodies. They had hardened faecal balls (some the
size of large oranges) under their claws. These birds were severely
dehydrated and weak (see photos 4 and 5). A semi-trailer stacked
high with crates of live birds was left standing out exposed in the
dark night. It was cold and windy. The birds made miserable sounds.
As all production sheds were being depopulated (emptied), the truck
contained battery, barn-laid, and/or free-range hens.
Dr Wirth, what is the explanation for this? Please understand that we
will share your response with our international membership through our
web site at www.UPC-online.org and through our quarterly Newsletter
PoultryPress. In the meantime, we request that the RSPCA sever all of
its financial ties with Pace Farms, and that the RSPCA discontinue its
endorsement of the company's eggs. Please advise us of your intentions.
We request your immediate attention to our concerns. I look forward to
your response.
Sincerely,
Karen Davis, PhD
President
United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405 USA
C: Mr. Peter Davies, Director General, RSPCA
Related Links:
United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
757-678-7875
FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org
(UPC Letter Re: RSPCA approved Liberty Barnlaid Eggs a Sham )
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