PETA petition against Oxfordshire chicken breeder farm plan

A petition from campaign group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), signed by more than 13,000 people, has urged West Oxfordshire District Council to reject the proposed site in Bampton.

PETA says the farm would cause cruelty to animals on a massive scale and pose serious environmental risks.

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Kate Werner, senior campaigns manager at PETA, said: “Thousands of compassionate people have spoken, and West Oxfordshire District Council must heed the concerns of its constituents and the general public over animal suffering, the environment, and the health of the community.

“PETA is calling for this plan to be scrapped to spare birds from a lifetime of suffering and a terrifying death.”

The group claims the facility would generate large volumes of manure and pollutants, especially ammonia, which could harm the surrounding environment.

PETA also argues the farm would “condemn nearly 40,000 gentle birds at a time to a life of misery” and contribute to wider animal welfare and public health concerns.

The organisation describes chickens as “social and sensitive individuals” who value their lives.

It says those kept for breeding are used as “egg-laying machines” and discarded or killed after around 40 weeks.

Chickens raised for meat are bred to grow rapidly, often suffering leg collapse under their weight.

Typical example of a poultry building (Image: Acorus Planning & Design)

The slaughter process, PETA says, involves being shackled upside down, their throats are slit, and they’re scalded in defeathering tanks, sometimes while still conscious.

PETA also warns that such intensive farming operations increase the risk of infectious disease.

Crowding stressed animals into confined, unsanitary conditions can foster the spread of pathogens, as evidenced by the recent bird flu outbreak in the area.

The group’s petition suggests that farms like the proposed site not only pose a threat to animal welfare but could also endanger public health by creating breeding grounds for illnesses that can transfer from animals to humans.

A planning application for the broiler breeder farm was submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council by P D Hook Group Limited in April.

Deanery Farm near Bampton (Image: Google Maps)

If successful, they would build four new poultry houses at the site just north of Bampton with housing for approximately 36,000 female birds plus males, with 9,000 female birds in each house.

Deanery Farm, near to the Oxfordshire village, was purchased by P D Hook Group, a leading UK poultry breeder and rearer, in 2023.

The cover letter for the application states: “The UK Industry is short of broiler breeder farms, and consequently hatching eggs.

“The investment in broiler breeder farms is of significant importance for food security and ensuring there is a resilient and sustainable supply of UK produced hatching eggs to meet demand for the domestic market.”