10/09/24 Horror in Croatia: unable to move their whole life, breathing in the stench and stepping on corpses
Animal Friends Croatia reported a so-called "layer hen" farm on Pag for violating legal regulations
- Do the horror scenes from Pag indicate that farms are insufficiently controlled?
Images of numerous hens crammed into cages have sparked public outrage after a recent TV segment on a "layer hen" farm on Pag, which deceived consumers by selling German eggs as Croatian. The whole story about the poultry farm from Pag was prompted by the consumer platform "Hello, inspector", to which Nova TV immediately reacted. But it is also misleading for the public to show happy chickens running freely on green meadows. "Shocked citizens have contacted us, unable to believe it’s legal to keep hens so confined that they can’t even turn around, squeezed into small cages from which they will never come out and feel the grass under their feet, breathing in the stench of excrement and choking on ammonia fumes and other harmful gases. Therefore, we reported to the veterinary inspection the farm 'Šimun', which keeps about 2,400 chickens in cages, for violating the Animal Protection Act and related regulations," says Animal Friends Croatia.
In their complaint, they requested an investigation to confirm whether the farm still uses conventional cages which have been banned in Croatia since entering the European Union, and and whether it meets the requirements set out by the regulations on the minimum conditions for the protection of laying hens and the regulations on animal welfare for production purposes. "We are talking about regulations that are almost 15 years old, which prescribe really minimal conditions of keeping, so any animal welfare is absurd. Hens live in cages from birth until they’re sent to slaughter – a life similar to hell. Their suffering is terrible because they serve their entire short lives as egg-producing machines, without the ability to move, to rummage, to feel the sun. They don't run on the grass like in commercials, not even in organic farming, but eat fishmeal, scraps and mixtures", explains the association.
They emphasize that the difference between conventional and so-called of enriched cages is minimal, and the suffering of the chickens is almost equal. Hens, in addition to constant physical suffering, also suffer psychological abuse through deliberate moulting and light regulation in order to lay more eggs. Newly born unwanted male chicks in Croatia are ground alive, and in some other countries they are killed by suffocation because they are not useful in the egg industry. The beaks of the chickens are machine-cut to prevent them from pecking each other, with many dying from painful injuries. Due to the suffocating gases, they have difficulty breathing and suffer from inflammation of the eyes and lungs. Due to extreme stress and physical exhaustion, their bodies become brittle, and many are driven mad in narrow cages where they cannot even spread their wings. They are often given antibiotics and other drugs to help them endure the terrible conditions until they are sent to the slaughterhouse, where they are placed upside down, immersed in a water bath with an electric current and then their throats are slit.
Animal Friends Croatia point out that Croatia lacks a dedicated animal welfare inspection body, and there are too few veterinary inspectors to control the conditions of keeping on all farms. The regulations are outdated anyway and only require a minimum that can be met without the chickens still living in terrible conditions like on the farm in Pag. Cage farming of chickens in the so-called enriched cages is allowed despite the fact that it is against the provisions of the Animal Welfare Regulation for animals raised for production purposes, which states "No animal shall be kept for production purposes, if it cannot be reasonably expected, on the basis of its genotype or phenotype, that it can be kept without adverse effects on its health or welfare.”
Unfortunately, until people see scenes like those on the "Šimun" farm on Pag, very few will consider the horrors of egg production, where hens often step over dead and rotting animals, living in overcrowded spaces, which further worsens their psychological and physical condition. Therefore, the Animal Friends Croatia association points out that customers have the power to make changes: "Eggs are not an essential food item; all meals can be prepared without them. By refusing to buy eggs, consumers can significantly help hens, improve their health, and protect the environment."
