Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: SAFE For Animals
A series of power cuts resulted in the deaths of 180,000 chickens in November 2019 at a West Auckland broiler chicken farm owned by DB Chicks Limited.
The New Zealand Herald has revealed an alarm system failed to alert the farm manager of power outages because an internet router lacked an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS).
The incident has since been described as the biggest agricultural mass death event in Aotearoa’s history. MPI conducted an audit of the farm practices around two months prior to the deaths, however, a total loss of both the mains power and the generator were not tested.
SAFE Campaigns Manager Jessica Chambers said MPI’s investigation raises deeply concerning flaws.
“Either MPI’s audit was conducted poorly, or our animal welfare system needs an overhaul,” said Chambers.
“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.”
Following their investigation, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) chose not to prosecute the farmer in question despite the deaths being completely preventable. Less than one per cent of all complaints received by MPI lead to prosecution, far lower than other areas of criminal law.
“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.”
“At the end of the day, the buck stops with MPI. Under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, they have a duty to closely monitor the welfare of animals on farms. In November 2019, MPI clearly failed which raises the question of whether they are up to the task.”
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– The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is responsible for enforcing animal welfare law on farms. Across the country, there are over 160 million farmed animals, but only 27 registered animal welfare inspectors. On its website, MPI lists its primary function as the promotion of New Zealand agriculture and exports. Because of this conflict of interest and under-resourcing, MPI’s crucial role in regulating animal welfare is treated as secondary.
– The 2019 report ‘ Animal Welfare in New Zealand: Oversight, Compliance and Enforcement’ states “Prosecutions of animal welfare offences are rare. Less than 1 per cent of complaints received by either agency are prosecuted. While many complaints are not substantiated or lead to other enforcement action, this is still far lower than enforcement rates in other areas of the criminal law.”
– Chickens farmed for their meat are typically intensively farmed inside crowded sheds where they do not have access to the outdoors, natural sunlight or fresh air. Up to 40,000 chickens may be housed in a shed.
– As the chicks grow, the living conditions within the shed deteriorate. The floor litter they live on is not cleaned until the birds are taken away to be killed, meaning a lifetime’s worth of waste from tens of thousands of birds accumulates. These filthy conditions cause respiratory problems, and continuous contact with soiled litter causes burns to the chickens’ breasts and legs.
– New Zealand farms the ‘Cobb’ and ‘Ross’ chicken breeds, who are selectively bred to grow explosively fast – reaching slaughter weight while they are still chicks, at six weeks of age.
– Rapid growth can cause chicks to suffer from a range of health issues, including heart failure and leg problems (lameness) that can lead to immobility. Chicks can become so top-heavy that their legs are unable to support their body weight.
– A 2013 report by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) stated that over two million birds died each year due to health problems before they even reached slaughter weight. The same report found over half of the chickens studied were unable to walk properly and some were unable to move at all.
