Duck-farming in the Hawkesbury was recently spotlighted by Animal Liberation’s campaign against the practice.
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Windsor-based Pepe’s Ducks, one of Australia’s largest duck producers which supplies about 90,000 birds a week, was among the companies mentioned.
Animal Liberation claims ducks grown for food suffer because they are aquatic birds kept in sheds and unable to live on water.
‘‘It can lead to lameness, broken bones, breast blisters, loss of their centre of gravity and skin damage from high ammonia concentrations,’’ the group’s campaign manager, Emma Hurst, said.
Pepe’s chief executive John Houston hit back and said Animal Liberation’s campaign was misleading.
He invited the Gazette to tour some of Pepe’s farms, on condition it not reveal their exact location.
One farm, in the Hawkesbury, had a 100 x 14 metre shed containing about 2000 breeder ducks.
‘‘I can’t see any lame ducks here,’’ Mr Houston said.
‘‘To us, the comfort of the animal is important; you won’t get a profit if you don’t look after them.’’
The ducks appeared to be able to move about without difficulty and had access to troughs which automatically filled with drinking water and food pellets.
Cooling fans were also available.
Another farm near Badgerys Creek had several thousand ‘‘meat birds’’: ducks bred to be eaten. Ceiling taps periodically emitted shower mists over the birds.
‘‘We don’t have open water for the ducks because they would excrete in it and drink the water,’’ Mr Houston said.
He said the measures in place were adequate and ensured the ducks’ welfare.
Ms Hurst said she was not impressed by company-approved tours.
‘‘The majority of ducks sold under the Pepe’s Ducks label are raised in contract farms,’’ she said.
‘‘This is where we received a lot of graphic footage showing major welfare issues.
‘‘I asked the chief executive recently if he was going to tour journalists around these contract farms and he told me that he couldn’t do that.’’
Ms Hurst also said only experts in duck welfare could be certain they were healthy and comfortable.
‘‘There were things in a particular footage I didn’t notice, but a vet told me the ducks were stressed,’’ she said. ‘‘We should remember that birds are prey animals and they try to hide their illness and injury as much as possible.
‘‘The reality is ducks are aquatic birds, supposed to be in, on, or near water and keeping them without water causes major welfare issues.’’
Mr Houston said all Pepe’s farms, including contractors, were licensed by the NSW Food Authority, whose regulations included animal welfare. He said they would not be allowed to operate if they were not licensed.
He also said Animal Liberation members were only interested in their views, so he would never invite them to any of Pepe’s farms. ‘‘They wouldn’t want to see reason; they’d be wasting my time, I’d be wasting theirs,’’ Mr Houston said.
