Investigations
Animals suffer inside “double-decker” chicken sheds
Between February and April 2019, Animal Equality investigators visited Red Tractor-certified farms in the UK, documenting the suffering of animals confined in double-decker chicken sheds, which hold over 30,000 birds per floor. Many chickens were unable to stand, and carcasses were left to rot among the living. These farms supply major UK retailers, including high-end supermarkets.
Mutilated and boiled alive: Inside turkey farms
Animal Equality investigators documented the cruelty endured by turkeys in hatcheries, factory farms, and slaughterhouses in Spain, exposing practices common in the U.S. Newly hatched birds that don’t meet industry standards are discarded alive. Others suffer mutilations, debilitating injuries caused by rapid growth, or are boiled alive due to inadequate killing methods.
Abuse and cannibalism on certified UK chicken farms
Investigators documented cruelty inside Red Tractor-certified British chicken farms supplying major retailers, following a whistleblower report. Footage reveals birds collapsing under unnaturally large bodies, dead birds left to rot among the living, cannibalism, workers breaking birds’ necks and leaving them to convulse, and repeated kicking and stepping on live birds—showing that certification labels do not prevent suffering.
Turkeys eaten alive on award-winning farm
Animal Equality released footage revealing extreme suffering and cannibalism at Grove Smith Turkeys Ltd in the UK, which supplies high-end retailers, local butchers, and pubs. Filmed in late 2018 at the farm’s Essex site, the investigation shows birds unable to walk being eaten alive by flockmates, severely infected wounds left untreated, and dozens of carcasses left to decompose among the living.
Cows abused, suffered prolonged deaths in Italian slaughterhouse
Animal Equality released footage from a cow slaughterhouse in Lombardy, Italy, showing workers mistreating cows by pushing, hitting, inadequately stunning, and slaughtering them while conscious. The investigation revealed widespread regulatory violations and prompted a petition calling for legal reform of Italy’s meat industry.
Actor Eugenio Derbez speaks out about the treatment of hens
Animal Equality investigators revisited egg farms in Jalisco, Mexico, in 2017 and 2018. The footage, presented by actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez, highlighted the suffering of hens confined in cages for egg production.
The forced feeding of ducks and geese for foie gras
Animal Equality investigators visited a foie gras farm in France, documenting severe suffering. Ducks and geese were confined in barren cages and force-fed with metal tubes, even while public tours were offered. Over 100,000 people in the UK have called for a ban, highlighting that this practice has no place in a compassionate society.
Conditions on Italian egg farm worsen despite exposé
A year after our first investigation of an Italian egg farm, we sent our investigators back to document what changes had been made. Although we had reported our initial findings to the authorities, the new footage we obtained showed that conditions on the farm had worsened.
The Truth About Dairy Revealed on Organic Farm
Far from the idyllic image of “organic” dairy farming, we exposed workers standing on tiny calves, dragging them by the back legs, and slapping them in the face in a UK farm. Calves were also denied access to water for over 24 hours on some of the hottest days of the year.
Horrors of Ocean Trawling Exposed
In one of the most daring undercover investigations to date, we exposed the cruelty and destruction caused by fishing when we documented trawling in the Mediterranean Sea in Italy, showing millions of fish suffering will being caught in massive nets that destroy the ocean floor and catch everything in their path.
Shocking Images Taken on Italian Pig Farms
An investigator worked at two pig farms in Italy to document the everyday nightmare that pigs are forced to live through in the meat industry, and expose it to the public.
Investigators Uncover Abuse on “Certified” UK Pig Farm
Animal Equality has exposed shocking abuse at a Red Tractor-approved pig farm, with undercover footage revealing extreme cruelty over a three-month period in 2018. The footage shows piglets being swung by a leg and slammed against a wall, their teeth clipped without pain relief, and pigs repeatedly electroshocked to force them onto a slaughter truck. The farm supplies Cheale Meats - linked to major UK wholesalers - and Evans & Sons, a Bedfordshire butcher claiming to sell only local meat.
