Open Cages footage reveals chickens supplied to Tesco live in ‘chronic pain’

Footage published by animal welfare charity Open Cages has revealed that severely lame chickens are wallowing in their own filth on two chicken farms that supply Tesco.

UK animal welfare experts have raised concerns over the condition of chickens that are raised in farms in the country.

The footage was captured on 3 July and 28 August and showed that the animals were in ‘chronic pain’ on two chicken farms.

It further revealed that chicken struggled to even to stand or walk as a result of being fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’, and also found collapsing under their own weight.

The footage at a Gloucestershire farm showed a chicken attempting to stand but defecates on itself and frantically fails to rise from the waste.

In some videos, chickens were found lying on the floor with faeces and urine covered floor with many chickens developed red sores due to the presence of ammonia, leading to a chemical burn.

The videos also revealed the images of dead chickens that were found lying at the farm and left to rot on the barn floors, with other chickens pecking at them or walk over the bodies jostling for room.

However, Tesco said that when its officials inspected Herefordshire farm last year, which is owned and operated by Hay Farms, ‘no issues’ were reported.

Tesco further added that the paperwork on the Gloucestershire farm, which is owned by Avara Foods, indicated more than 2,000 chickens died in that one barn in 33 days.

Open Cages CEO Connor Jackson said: “Over 150 companies have signed the Better Chicken Commitment across Europe and the UK.

“Tesco, on the other hand, appears unwilling to take chicken welfare seriously. The animals in this footage are clearly in severe pain and distress, with scenes straight out of a nightmare as they crawl along the filthy ground – with death as the only relief from the suffering.”