Animal welfare officers euthanize over 350,000 Daybreak Foods’ chickens
The birds were left starving and cannibalizing each other after state-owned poultry firm failed to supply feed
SOUTH AFRICA – Animal protection officials in South Africa have carried out the manual euthanization of more than 350,000 chickens after the birds were discovered starving and consuming one another at farms operated by state-owned poultry producer Daybreak Foods.
According to the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), the birds had been left without food for over a week, leading to widespread cannibalism and severe suffering across multiple farm sites.
The NSPCA said it could not confirm how many chickens had died before their intervention due to the scale of the neglect and the condition of the surviving birds.
Officials described scenes of malnourished birds clustered in corners, torn feeding lines, and visible instances of chickens feeding on each other’s bodies.
The crisis was first flagged on April 30 at one of Daybreak’s sites, prompting an investigation that later uncovered similar conditions at several other farms across northern South Africa.
Company officials were denied permission to slaughter the affected birds commercially, as the chickens had become too underweight to meet standards.
More than 500,000 chickens were rescued, but those that could not recover were euthanized one by one by 75 NSPCA officers over a six-day operation that concluded on May 6.
Nazareth Appalsamy, who leads the NSPCA’s farm animal unit, said the mass culling had a significant psychological impact on officers involved in the process.
Daybreak Foods, which operates in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but a spokesperson told local media that financial problems had delayed feed deliveries.
The company, once part of agricultural services firm Afgri, was taken over by South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation (PIC) in 2015 and began to experience growing financial strain two years later.
Those troubles, according to industry sources, were worsened by internal mismanagement, governance lapses, and increased pressure from cheaper poultry imports.
Despite several changes in leadership and attempts to stabilize operations, Daybreak’s position continued to deteriorate through 2024.
By early 2025, the company was reportedly unable to pay suppliers and staff, with supermarket chain Shoprite extending a loan worth US$5.3 million (R100 million) that remained unpaid by February.
Government responds as legal action looms
In April 2025, the NSPCA formally accused Daybreak Foods of animal cruelty and announced plans to pursue legal action over the abandonment of livestock.
As the backlash intensified, the PIC said on May 9 that it had disbursed US$13.3 million (R250 million) to support poultry producers facing financial distress, including Daybreak Foods.
The South African government has also opened talks with Daybreak’s leadership to address the ongoing crisis and determine the company’s future.
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