The footage, part of this special investigation to capture a day in the death of ducks killed for the table, was taken over 24 hours inside the UK’s largest duck abattoir, Gressingham Foods, a company killing over 150,000 ducks each week for major supermarkets.
In just 24 hours of filming inside this huge slaughterhouse, Animal Justice Project captured multiple breaches, reflecting a failure to adhere to EU regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing as well as the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) regulations for England.
Ducks are brutally handled and painfully hoisted onto shackles before being electrocuted in a water bath — the only time these birds will have been submerged in their ENTIRE LIVES! Watch this special 24 hour undercover investigation with Animal Justice Project cameras.
"The Animal Justice Project video shows some particularly poor practice. There are several non-compliances which can be clearly seen and which need to be addressed. The video shows a cramped hanging-on bay and a slaughter line which is being run too quickly for the available space, resulting in the ducks being frequently handled inhumanely and without due care. Operatives argue with each other; they are distracted and hence take poor care. Some birds are not removed from the crates before the crate drops down the conveyor. Not all birds are shackled by both legs. Dead and injured birds are hung on shackles. Shackled birds are allowed to touch each other meaning that birds further up the line will receive pre-stun non-lethal shocks. When there are line stoppages, shackled birds appear to be left on the line for more than the maximum of two minutes. This is a clear breach of regulations.” - Dr Alick Simmons - former UK government's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and former UK Food Standards Agency's Veterinary Director
During our filming at the slaughterhouse in Redgrave, Suffolk, our investigators documented horrific abuse of ducks:
FIFTEEN regulation breaches and a total disregard for the well-being of the ducks. Workers roughly handled birds by their heads, necks, wings and tails, flouting government regulations. The ducks were incredibly distressed and suffered further trauma as a result. They were live-shackled side by side, flapping in panic. Workers failed to shackle both legs of some ducks, putting immense strain on their delicate joints. Disputes amongst workers caused a chaotic and loud environment, which the ducks were unable to escape. The workers’ aggression was taken out on the ducks as they were yanked down into metal shackles.
"The Animal Justice Project video shows some particularly poor practice. There are several non-compliances which can be clearly seen and which need to be addressed. The video shows a cramped hanging-on bay and a slaughter line which is being run too quickly for the available space, resulting in the ducks being frequently handled inhumanely and without due care. Operatives argue with each other; they are distracted and hence take poor care. Some birds are not removed from the crates before the crate drops down the conveyor. Not all birds are shackled by both legs. Dead and injured birds are hung on shackles. Shackled birds are allowed to touch each other meaning that birds further up the line will receive pre-stun non-lethal shocks. When there are line stoppages, shackled birds appear to be left on the line for more than the maximum of two minutes. This is a clear breach of regulations.” - Dr Alick Simmons - former UK government's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and former UK Food Standards Agency's Veterinary Director
Ducks believed to be dead were thrown down a chute, without having their vital signs checked to see if they were still alive. They were simply discarded like trash. Some injured ducks were shot using a captive bolt gun and shackled with the others - their bodies will enter the supply chain and go into supermarkets or shops. Other injured individuals, who should have been stunned, were left to suffer and shackled upside down, some bleeding from their heads.
The machinery stopped and the individuals who were already shackled were left upside down. Regulations state they must be unshackled and returned to crates after a maximum of TWO minutes. We witnessed birds being left shackled upside down for TWELVE and FOURTEEN minute intervals - up to seven times the permitted length of time. Ducks who were already in the stun bath were left inside for the entire length of time that the kill line was stopped. The layout of Gressingham Duck slaughterhouse means that ducks are unable to be unshackled as they drop down towards the stun bath - a clear breach of regulations.
Animal Justice Project leads the way in exposing the truth about duck farming in Britain. Support and share our work to expose the foul truth about duck farming. We are working tirelessly for an end to animal agriculture, which is cruel and unjust, but to make this happen we need your help.
Please use your voice to share the truth about this common practice that happens not only in the UK but everywhere. And please, leave ducks and all animals off your plate.
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