Animal Aid withdraws SA farm claim

- Published: 23 December, 2009

Animal Aid has withdrawn claims that a farm next to an abbatoir where it filmed alleged chicken cruelty is Soil Association certified.

It had alleged that the chickens and turkeys it filmed at Otter Valley Poultry in Honiton were Soil Association-approved organic animals but later said that while the poultry slaughter operation at the abattoir was certified, the farm at the same address was not organic.

A spokesman added: “Soil Association or otherwise, Otter Valley’s Soil Association-approved organic chickens and turkeys are farmed at three different addresses before being slaughtered at Honiton.”

Animal Aid filmed secret footage on two occasions in November and December 2009 at Otter Valley Poultry where it has alleged cruelty towards chickens.

A statement read: “The condition of the chickens was especially worrying. Several of the birds were so badly crippled that they were unable to stand. In addition, three dead turkeys were found in a shed with live birds, and three dead pigs were so badly decomposed that their original forms were barely recognisable.

“In the slaughter room, there were huge heaps of wings and feathers, and a trough full of blood that had been left there overnight.”

A spokesman for the SA said its inspectors viewed the footage filmed and could see nothing wrong with the abattoirs practices.

The video footage was no longer available for viewing on the Animal Aid website.