Chickens euthanised at NSW egg farm amid animal cruelty investigation

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Authorities have launched an investigation into alleged animal cruelty at Mountain Pride Farms on the NSW Central Coast, where chickens are being euthanised in what the state’s Agriculture Minister has described as an emergency situation. Questions are also mounting over food safety, biosecurity and whether eggs from the farm have entered the retail supply chain.

An egg producer on the New South Wales Central Coast is under investigation following serious allegations of animal cruelty, with authorities confirming that live chickens are being euthanised at the property.

The investigation centres on Mountain Pride Farms, located at Peats Ridge, a business that has promoted its eggs as free-range products produced under high animal welfare standards.

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty confirmed the situation during proceedings in the state’s upper house, describing conditions at the farm as an emergency requiring immediate intervention.

The Minister told Parliament that an enforcement agency was investigating the allegations and that euthanasia operations were underway.

She described the situation as deeply distressing but said intervention was necessary to prevent animals from experiencing further suffering.

Disturbing footage triggers renewed scrutiny

The investigation follows the release of footage by animal welfare advocacy organisation Animal Liberation earlier this week.

The material allegedly shows dead and dying chickens at Mountain Pride Farms, raising serious concerns about animal welfare conditions at the facility.

The allegations have prompted questions about how the farm was operating, whether appropriate inspections had been conducted and whether warnings raised previously had received sufficient attention.

The authenticity and circumstances of the footage remain matters relevant to the ongoing investigation, and the allegations have not been established as findings of wrongdoing.

Mountain Pride Farms has declined to comment publicly on the investigation.

Government investigates food safety and biosecurity risks

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has begun examining whether conditions at the property pose food safety or biosecurity concerns.

Minister Moriarty confirmed that steps had been taken to prevent eggs originating from the farm from entering food supply chains.

Authorities are also monitoring the situation to ensure appropriate biosecurity controls remain in place.

The investigation raises important questions about the relationship between animal welfare conditions, commercial egg production and consumer protection.

While animal cruelty allegations do not automatically establish that eggs are unsafe to eat, poor farm conditions can warrant additional food safety and disease-control assessments.

No specific foodborne contamination or disease outbreak has been confirmed in the information released so far.

Claims eggs were still being sold

Despite the government’s assurances that action had been taken to prevent eggs from entering the market, Animal Liberation has raised concerns about products allegedly being offered for sale.

Organisation spokesperson Lisa Ryan said eggs believed to have originated from Mountain Pride Farms were observed in generic packaging at Central Coast fresh food markets on Saturday.

She also alleged that eggs from the business were being sold at a Peats Ridge petrol station on Wednesday evening.

These claims have raised further questions about product traceability, distribution arrangements and the effectiveness of measures intended to prevent potentially affected products from reaching consumers.

The allegations concerning retail sales have not been independently established in the information available.

The government has said it will continue monitoring the situation and maintaining relevant biosecurity controls.

Concerns reportedly raised more than a year ago

The investigation has also attracted political scrutiny over the timing of official intervention.

NSW Greens upper house MP Abigail Boyd said concerns about Mountain Pride Farms were first raised in September 2025.

According to Boyd, the allegations had been brought to the attention of several organisations and authorities, including the RSPCA, NSW Department of Primary Industries, NSW Police and Central Coast Council.

Boyd questioned why urgent intervention had not occurred earlier, given the reported existence of footage and previous complaints.

Her comments have intensified debate about the effectiveness of animal welfare enforcement and the responsibilities of agencies charged with investigating suspected cruelty.

The timeline of complaints, agency responses and any previous inspections has not yet been fully established.

Free-range claims under scrutiny

Mountain Pride Farms has marketed its eggs as free-range products associated with high animal welfare standards.

The contrast between those promotional claims and the conditions alleged by campaigners has attracted particular attention.

For consumers, terms such as free range and high welfare can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially when buyers are prepared to pay more for products they believe have been produced under better conditions.

However, free-range production claims and animal welfare standards are not necessarily interchangeable. Compliance with labelling requirements does not, by itself, establish that all aspects of animal husbandry meet appropriate welfare obligations.

The investigation could therefore raise broader questions about how welfare claims are monitored and how consumers can assess whether producers are meeting their stated commitments.

Pressure grows for accountability

Abigail Boyd has expressed concern about the capacity of regulatory authorities to ensure that products marketed with particular welfare claims meet public expectations.

She argued that consumers have a legitimate interest in knowing how their food is produced and which authorities are responsible for maintaining standards.

Animal welfare organisations are also seeking greater transparency over the circumstances that led to the intervention.

At this stage, the investigation remains ongoing, and no final findings of criminal or regulatory wrongdoing have been announced in the information provided.

What happens next?

Authorities are expected to continue investigating the circumstances at Mountain Pride Farms, assessing any potential food safety and biosecurity concerns and determining whether additional enforcement action is required.

The euthanasia of chickens at the property remains one of the most serious immediate consequences of the situation.

Questions also remain over how long the alleged conditions existed, what action was taken in response to earlier complaints and whether eggs from the farm were distributed after concerns had been raised.

The case has become a significant test of animal welfare enforcement and food supply chain oversight in New South Wales, with authorities facing growing calls to establish what happened and whether earlier intervention could have prevented further animal suffering.

For consumers, the investigation is also a reminder that confidence in food production depends not only on product labels and marketing claims, but on effective inspections, transparency and enforceable animal welfare standards.

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