Matthew Chalmers
Undercover investigation reveals suffering of fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’ at Lidl supplier
An undercover investigation has revealed the suffering of fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’ at Lidl’s Spanish supplier.
The undercover investigation was supplied to the Spanish NGO Equalia and carried out during the last two years on two large-scale chicken farms linked to a Lidl supplier called Sada, Lidl's sole provider of fresh chicken in Spain.
To address the various health problems caused by fast growth and high stocking densities, animal charities in the Open Wing Alliance (OWA) including The Humane League UK and Equalia are demanding Lidl sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC).
The BCC requires the use of slower-growing breeds, more space, natural light and enrichment, less painful slaughter methods and third-party auditing. KFC, Nando’s, Greggs and Lidl France are among the 330+ companies in the UK and EU to have committed to the BCC, but the rest of Lidl has so far refused.
Claire Williams, Campaigns Manager at The Humane League UK, said: “This is the second horrifying investigation we have seen in two months after a similar exposé in Germany. The common denominator is that these are farms connected to Lidl. Again we see how fast growth in chickens renders them virtually immobile and riddled with agonising health problems. Their inherent suffering is made worse by excessive cruelty and physical abuse by workers. Lidl must sign the Better Chicken Commitment to limit the suffering these innocent chickens endure.”
Several health conditions related to fast growth are identifiable in the footage, including ‘kinky back’, a type of spinal compression that forces birds to lie on their backs. The instance of a bird rapidly flapping their wings while on their back suggests a heart attack or sudden death syndrome. Fast growth is also responsible for the poor leg health of the birds including lameness and tibial dyschondroplasia, where the bird’s cartilage is malformed, rendering them unable to properly walk.
The lack of mobility in fast-growing birds can lead them to starve to death or die from dehydration, as can beak malformations, visible in the footage.
Operators unload newborn chicks on the farm by throwing them to the ground risking broken beaks and bones, or even death. Additionally, farm workers can be seen beating chicks to death on a bucket, with still-conscious chicks filmed moving inside the bucket among a pile of the dead. Workers handle the chickens very roughly, including holding them upside down by one leg, causing extreme pain and discomfort. This method of slaughter does not comply with EU legislation, as it causes pain, distress and suffering. It does not ‘kill the animal as soon as possible’, and it is not ‘firm and accurate’ as multiple blows are needed, and one chick even appears to have regained consciousness.
During the catching and loading of chickens for transportation the birds were beaten into the truck, being thrown in the air recklessly and receiving punches and kicks from the workers. EU legislation states that catching personnel must ‘carry out their tasks without using violence or any method likely to cause unnecessary fear, injury or suffering’, a standard which also appears to have been breached. The footage also reveals unsanitary conditions, with dead birds left to rot in the shed.
This follows an investigation into a German supplier connected to Lidl which revealed comparable conditions.
Around 90% of the 1.1 billion chickens slaughtered in the UK for meat each year are fast-growing breeds.
