Turner egg farm to pay $125K in cruelty case
Maine Contract Farming, which operates the Quality Egg of New England farm in Turner, has agreed to pay $125,000 to settle an animal cruelty case that began last year.
In a settlement of civil charges negotiated yesterday at the Androscoggin County District Attorney's office, Maine Contract Farming admitted that it did not provide adequate shelter and sustenance to 10 hens at its farm, according to the Associated Press. The company will pay $25,000 in penalties and a one-time payment of $100,000 to the Maine Department of Agriculture to fund monitoring of hens at egg farms across the state.
The state launched an investigation of the former DeCoster Egg Farm last April after Ohio-based activist group Mercy for Animals released undercover videos taken by one of its investigators depicting mistreatment of chickens. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also investigated working conditions at the farm after state investigators fell ill after visiting the property. Don Hoenig, a state veterinarian with the agriculture department, told the AP the farm has taken corrective action and shown a commitment to ensuring a higher level of care toward its birds.
Quality Egg of New England is New England's largest egg farm with nearly 5 million birds that produce about 3 million eggs a day, according to AP.
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