One of Canada’s largest egg producers says it will take swift action to ensure the safety of its hens after an animal rights group published graphic video shot inside one of its Southern Ontario barns.
The video shows dead hens on the floors of crowded wire cages. Some of the birds appear to be forced to stand on top of one another. Many have lost their feathers. At one point, the film shows several dead birds piled up on a concrete floor.
Mercy For Animals says the footage was recorded by an undercover investigator working at a Gray Ridge Egg Farms facility in Listowel, Ont., earlier this year. The company confirmed the video’s authenticity in a press release Thursday.
“We are aware that video from one of our farms has been released, and we take the matter very seriously,” said Mike Walsh, executive vice president of Gray Ridge Egg Farms. “I am disappointed in the practices depicted in the video, and can say with certainty that what is shown is inconsistent with our high standards for animal care.”
The farm where the video was recorded passed all of its health and safety tests this spring, according to Egg Farmers of Ontario.
The organization, which controls prices and supply management on behalf of more than 400 egg farmers in the province, says if Gray Ridge’s barn had conditions like those seen in the video, it would be flagged for violations. Farms are audited and inspected four times per year.
“Battery cages,” like those shown in the video, have been banned by the European Union, Switzerland, and several U.S. states over animal welfare concerns. Their name refers to how the cages are stacked and connected -- similar to batteries.
“Dead birds are left to rot in cages alongside hens still laying eggs destined for your breakfast plate,” said Mercy for Animals in a statement on its website. “This is blatant animal abuse.”
“We are reviewing our practices and will take whatever actions are necessary to swiftly and thoroughly address any situation that does not uphold our code and policies,” said Walsh.
More than 90 per cent of Canada’s 26 million egg-laying hens are kept in battery cages, according to the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals. The group say the cages are often so cramped that birds cannot walk, spread their wings, or engage in normal behaviour.
Earlier this year, Egg Farmers of Canada said its members will not install any new battery cages, with the hope of abandoning the practice by 2036. Mercy For Animals says it isn’t satisfied with the industry’s response to the issue.
“Egg-laying hens are arguably the most abused animals on the planet,” the group said on its website.
With files from CTV Kitchener
