Animals always the losers on factory farms, as fire rips through West Auckland poultry sheds

Approximately 50,000 chickens have been killed in a fire at a West Auckland poultry farm last night. The Stoney Creek factory farm, in Opanuku Rd, Henderson, supplies Tegel.

SAFE Head of Campaigns, Marianne Macdonald, is appalled that these birds have been burned to death and says an urgent review of farmed animal housing is needed.

“The tragedy of these birds killed in a raging fire, clearly highlights the dangerous conditions that factory farmed animals are trapped in. With thousands of chickens in each shed, when there’s a fire there’s no way to rescue them.”

“It’s vital that factory farms such as these need effective early detection systems and sprinklers, as well as sufficient water supplies, not only for the animals’ sake but to prevent harm to firefighters trying to save these animals.”

In the United States, farmed animal housing must adhere to specific fire standards. (NFPA 150).

“New Zealand needs to follow the lead of the US and give intensively farmed animals more chance of survival in a fire or natural disaster.”

“However, all factory farming causes animal suffering on a day-to-day basis.”

“The 120 million chickens bred for meat in NZ, are selectively bred to grow so explosively that they reach slaughter weight in approximately six weeks. Even before six weeks, many die from heart failure or are killed due to extreme lameness, as their undeveloped legs struggle to support their bloated bodies.”

“Chickens used for meat are bred to be non-survivors. To enable their parents to last long enough to be used for repeated forced mating, they are kept permanently hungry. Life for these breeder birds is extremely stressful, especially for the hens, and injuries are common. This is an appalling way to treat any animal.”

Take action

• Help us make changes to improve chicken welfare.

• On a personal level, the best thing you can do is keep chicken off your plate.