Chickens euthanased in NSW egg farm 'emergency situation'
Mountain Pride Farms promotes its eggs as free range and high welfare. (Supplied)
In short:
An egg farm on the NSW Central Coast is being investigated over animal cruelty allegations.
NSW Agriculture Minister Taya Moriarty says chickens from Mountain Pride Farms are being euthanased in what she has described as an "emergency situation".
What's next?
Moves are being made to ensure eggs from the farm do not make it into food supply chains.
Chickens at an egg farm on the NSW Central Coast are being euthanased as the business is investigated over claims of animal cruelty.
Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty today told the upper house of NSW Parliament that the Department of Primary Industries was aware of concerns about Mountain Pride Farms.
She said an enforcement agency was investigating and "live chickens are currently being euthanised at that site".
She described it as an "emergency situation".
"The department has commenced an investigation to determine if there are food safety or biosecurity concerns at the property," Ms Moriarty said.
Mountain Pride Farms declined to comment to the ABC on the investigation. (Supplied)
"That is a desperately sad situation, but ... these things need to be done in order to spare animals that might otherwise be in a very difficult situation."
Video was released by advocacy group Animal Liberation earlier this week depicting dead and dying chickens allegedly filmed at Mountain Pride Farms.
An egg business on the NSW Central Coast has been accused of animal cruelty. (ABC News: Shauna Foley)
Greens MLC Abigail Boyd said concerns about Mountain Pride Farms were first raised in September 2025.
She said those concerns were allegedly brought to the attention of the RSPCA, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, NSW Police and the Central Coast Council.
"It's deeply concerning that they've known about this, they've had footage and yet there's not been an urgent response," Ms Boyd said.
Blocking eggs from sale
Ms Moriarty said action had been taken to ensure eggs from the farm could not enter the food supply chain.
"The department will continue to monitor to ensure biosecurity controls are dealt with and maintained," she said.
But Animal Liberation spokesperson Lisa Ryan said eggs from the farm were observed for sale in generic packaging at the Central Coast fresh food markets on Saturday.
The owner of Mountain Pride Farms in Peats Ridge has declined to comment on the investigation. (ABC News: Shauna Foley)
She also said the eggs were being sold at a Peats Ridge petrol station on Wednesday night.
The ABC has contacted the operator of the farm who declined to comment.
The farm's website includes information that it aims to produce "the best quality eggs", which are "high welfare and free range".
Delayed response
Ms Boyd said she had lost faith in the food authority's capability to ensure products were what they were purported to be.
"These were supposed to be free range, ultra-healthy eggs with the highest welfare standards … and what it appears we've discovered is something very, very different," she said.
"I think the public have a real right to be concerned about who is protecting their food sources."
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