NSPCA Press Release

Over 3 000 broiler chickens were humanely slaughtered after an horrific discovery at the Siyaphambili broiler government project in Piet Retief in Mpumalanga.

Due to the severity of the injuries and the extent of the cannibalism we humanely emergency slaughtered almost 500 chickens on site and the remainder of the chickens were taken to the local abattoir by the NSPCA and were slaughtered in the presence of NSPCA personnel. On the third day of this operation, NSPCA staff were met with hostility and it was necessary to obtain a Magisterial warrant and assistance from the local SAPS.

“According to the beneficiaries of this project, there was a verbal agreement that chickens would be slaughtered at 6 weeks and supplied to the local correctional facility and to the hospital,” explained Nazareth Appalsamy of the Farm Animal Unit of the NSPCA. “The government subsidises the cost of feeding the chickens until they are 6 weeks and ready for slaughter. To recover costs and to try and raise money to pay for food for the chickens which were now almost 8 weeks old, the people running the farm were trying to sell these live birds informally. This raises many welfare issues.” “But even so, the feed supplier was reluctant to provide food as this farming project was already in debt to the supplier.

The government supplied the infrastructure, set up the project and provides subsidies. The beneficiaries involved have nothing to lose and in this instance have been demonstrably unaccountable as living creatures have suffered. The National Council of SPCAs remains steadfast in the belief that people must not be uplifted to the detriment of animals.

Criminal charges will be laid and all involved will be held accountable.