January 8, 2007

Loss of major poultry slaughterhouse in New Zealand causes concern

A recent fire that destroyed poultry supplier Tegel's slaughterhouse in New Zealand's South Island is causing concerns on where farmers could take their chickens for slaughter.

Tegel's poultry slaughterhouse in Hornby slaughters 50,000 chickens a day. With the slaughterhouse destroyed, huge numbers of poultry are stuck awaiting slaughter and SAFE, a New Zealand animal rights organisation, is worried about high levels of mortality and serious welfare problems.

Broilers, designed to have an accelerated growth rate, have unnaturally large bodies that place enormous strain on the birds' legs, resulting in abnormal gait, lameness and pain, the organisation said. 

The delay caused by the destruction of the slaughterhouse would increase the level of suffering, SAFE said.