Lakesland egg farmer convicted of serious animal cruelty
The owner of a commercial egg farm where horrendous conditions prompted authorities to destroy more than 4000 chickens will not be allowed to own animals for five years, after he was found guilty of serious animal cruelty following an RSPCA inspection last year.
Shaun Stone, 36, was convicted in Picton Local Court on Monday and fined $6500, placed on a 16-month community corrections order and prohibited from purchasing, acquiring, taking possession or custody of any animal for a period of five years, the RSPCA said in a statement.
The animal welfare organisation launched action against Stone in June 2018 after a complaint led to inspection of his Lakesland farm by police, RSPCA officers, an expert avian veterinarian and Local Land Services district veterinarian. At the property, the inspectors found approximately 4000 live hens and another 1000 hens dead in a shed.
Of the hens still alive, the RSPCA said most were "underweight to emaciated" and half were suffering "a respiratory disease with mucoid discharge from the nares [nostrils] and mouth."
Additionally, "all the birds had severe lice infestations and appeared to be hungry and very thirsty, spending most of the time attempting to drink from the nipple drinkers and search for food".
Inspectors also identified severe issues with condition of the shed where the birds were kept, from "poor ventilation, poor substrate, broken feeders and water pipes" to "dangerous wire causing the birds to become trapped and the deceased bodies left to decompose amongst the hens."
In addition to the 1000 hens already found dead in the shed, all 4000 of the live hens were destroyed by authorities after tests of the flock returned positive results for Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) – a highly contagious, respiratory disease caused by a herpes virus.
Deputy Chief Inspector of RSPCA NSW, Aaron Purcell, said Stone had admitted in a recorded interview that he had attempted to put the chickens into a "forced moult", a controversial practice banned in Europe, in which chickens are restricted from food and water towards the end of their first egg laying phase in a bid to increase egg production in later phases.
Stone asserted this "was common in the industry"; however, Mr Purcell said "failing to provide proper and sufficient food is illegal."
Magistrate Ian Cheetham described Stone's offending as "objectively serious", resulting in the deaths of more than 4000 birds.
"People who farm animals intensively need to act in accordance with appropriate welfare standards," Magistrate Cheetham said. "You took on these responsibilities and did not meet them."
In addition to the Lakelands farm, Mr Purcell said the RSPCA inspected two other establishments managed by Stone, and he received a penalty infringement notice for failure to comply with the regulations relating to cage size and stocking density.
"As a result of that engagement, he destocked all of his properties and as of today he no longer has any birds and is now prohibited from getting any more," Mr Purcell said.