Lemitech Barn-laid Eggs - Investigation Video (vertical)

This year investigators visited Lemitech’s farm in Teesdale to investigate the conditions for the hens inside.

They found despondent hens inside filthy sheds as well as dozens of dead hens overflowing from a bin where their bodies had been dumped. Some hens were found struggling to breathe or stand in the cramped sheds, while others had bleeding wounds from being pecked by other hens. 

In barn-laid or cage-free systems, hens are kept confined to sheds for their entire lives. Often, tiered metal perches will allow the birds to roost, while nesting boxes are placed on top of metal flooring. In Australia, there are no legal requirements or standards which apply to cage-free or ‘barn-laid’ egg production systems. This means farmers will often pack as many hens as possible into these sheds to maximise production and account for the enormous number of birds who die from sickness or injury.

In 2023, Lemitech was charged with the death of a worker at this farm, who died after becoming entangled in the conveyor belt used to move eggs from the sheds into the packing room. The company was fined $13.3 million for failing to prevent the man’s death.

It’s not just animals that are harmed in these systems, all too often humans become the victims as well.