Pigs hammered to death at ‘high-welfare’ farm, prompting Tesco to ditch supplier

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Animal-rights organisation Animal Equality UK filmed at P&G Sleigh Pig Unit, an intensive indoor farm, uncovering what it said were “a number of serious legal violations”. The investigators said they also saw: Piglets routinely being slammed by workers onto the concrete floor Mother pigs suffering from torn vulvas and severe prolapses, caused by forced impregnation, resulting in their uterus or internal organs painfully protruding outside their bodies Piglets having their tails cut off and teeth cut out with pliers, without anaesthetic, causing several to develop debilitating infections Pigs suffering from seizures caused by meningitis Animals forced to live in filthy conditions, flooded with faeces and water, with no access to dry bedding. “QMS boasts of being proud of its standards, yet it took Animal Equality to uncover these serious breaches on its board member’s farm.” Animal Equality says it has investigated 10 UK pig farms in five years and on each one has exposed severe suffering and filthy conditions. We require all farms in our supply chain to adhere to strict animal welfare standards and we delisted this supplier as soon as we were made aware of these allegations.” A Lidl spokesperson said: “At Lidl GB we take the matter of animal welfare extremely seriously and are committed to maintaining high welfare and traceability standards throughout our supply chain.