Many of the bodies were badly decomposed, green with mold and disembowelled. A handwritten sign on the wall reading: Do not put bodies on floor, place directly in bags... was videotaped and photographed.

This is a new shed with it's first batch of laying hens (we were told the birds have been in the shed for about 12 months, making them 'end of lay' battery hens.) It is disturbing to realise that the rescue team hardly noticed any dead birds on the Friday night (but we had only half an hour of light in the shed). It is extremely difficult to view birds in the bottom tier and basically impossible to view them on the top tier, yet obviously many of the hens had been dead for awhile. Many would have been ill, suffering great pain and would have starved to death. More proof that no matter how new or 'state of the art' they try to make the cages, they don't work!

The hens were ISA browns, who are known to be more docile in temperment, but they were unusally frenzied and distressed. (note the rescue team have rescued many other ISA hens from vaarious sheds whereas these poor girls were extremely unsettled). The cages were slightly larger than normal, but we noticed quite alot of bruising, with many of the birds throwing themselves about. The debeaking was savage and the hens had abnormally long claws. All those rescued had to have their toenails trimmed so they could walk properly.

All the cages have an electrified wire running underneath the feedtrough that is used to 'train' the hens not to retrieve their eggs should they get broody or frustrated. Please notice in the photos that the roof of the cages is solid metal and the birds were UNABLE TO STAND AT FULL HEIGHT IN THE CAGE. The solid ceiling is to accomodate the conveyor belt that removes the hen's droppings from the shed. The top tier did have a wire mesh ceiling, but even here the hens weren't able to fit their heads up through it.

One of the hens rescued was catatonic and died several hours later, she weighed under a kilogram (less than half her normal body weight). It is against the law to leave a sick animal unattended.

We know this place has been reported to the RSPCA on several occasions over a long period and they have yet to investigate. (typical)

In spite of new cages, more space for hens, a relatively clean shed with efficient automation and temperature control, the battery cage remains a HELLHOLE for hens.

photo captions: a. dead bodies laying in aisles Photo a and b: Patty Mark b. close up of one of 50 bodies counted in shed. many of the corpses were covered in mould and badly decomposed. c. Patty Mark holds a rescued hen with a crossed-over beak. Patty is wearing the Sydney Olympic Logo shirt which is thought by some to resemble a hen and is being used to highlight battery hen cruelty at the Olympic Games. Photo: Gloria Gamboz d. Romeo Gadze touches the electrified wire that runs under the feed troughs. Note the low solid metal ceiling of cages. Photo: P Mark e. Very ill and catatonic hen, unable to move. She was rescued, but died several hours later. Photo: P Mark f. Badly debeaked battery hens bursting to get free!!! please help them all you can... Photo: Patty Mark

For more information about the Action Animal Rescue Team, contact Patty Mark at amag@ihug.com.au