Abattoir ‘boiled chickens alive’

A MELBOURNE abattoir has been allowed to continue operating after animal activists secretly recorded footage showing chickens being “scalded to death” in its slaughter process.

The ABC’s 7.30 program obtained footage of hens being plucked of their feathers and boiled alive at the Star Poultry Supply slaughterhouse in the suburb of Keysborough.

Animal rights campaigner Tamara Kenneally and a group of friends set up hidden cameras to capture the horrific animal mistreatment on tape.

“They were actually going through the conveyor on the shackles alive, and being dunked into the boiling water alive. So they were being scalded to death basically,” Ms Keneally told 7.30.

Industry regulations require chickens to be stunned and then immediately killed by a slit to the throat, but the graphic footage shows many were still conscious when dipped into the boiling water.

“The footage is extremely horrific,” RSPCA chicken welfare specialist Kate Harcher said.

The footage was given to Victoria’s abattoir regulator, PrimeSafe, in March.

Agriculture Victoria said authorised officers spoke to the company’s management, but did not initiate a formal animal cruelty investigation.

In a statement to the ABC, the department said it was satisfied remedial action was being taken.