Over 350,000 chickens euthanised in South Africa after starvation crisis at Daybreak Foods

SOUTH AFRICA – In a harrowing intervention that has shocked the nation, animal welfare officials in South Africa manually euthanised more than 350,000 chickens after the birds were left starving and cannibalising one another at farms operated by Daybreak Foods, a state-owned poultry company.

The mass culling, carried out between April 30 and May 6, followed Daybreak Foods’ catastrophic failure to supply feed to multiple farms in northern South Africa. 

The company, owned by the government’s Public Investment Corporation (PIC), is reported to be in deep financial distress, which has led to a breakdown in basic animal care.

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) discovered the gruesome scenes after receiving a tip-off from one of Daybreak’s farms on April 30. 

The NSPCA stated that their officers found skeletal birds, empty feeding lines, and horrifying scenes of cannibalism at the farm and the conditions were replicated at least five other sites in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo provinces.

About 75 NSPCA officers were involved in the six-day operation to humanely euthanise the birds, which had become too malnourished to be slaughtered commercially. 

Officials said more than 500,000 chickens were rescued, but the full number of deaths before the intervention could not be confirmed due to the extent of the neglect.

Under the weight of financial strain 

Daybreak Foods has not issued a formal public statement, but a company spokesperson told local media that the crisis was the result of delays in feed deliveries due to “financial instability.” 

Officials noted that chickens were visibly underweight, with many found huddled in corners or feeding on the carcasses of others.

The company’s troubles have been mounting for years. Once part of the agricultural services group Afgri, Daybreak was taken over by the PIC in 2015. 

Industry sources say financial strain began emerging in 2017 and worsened due to poor governance, internal mismanagement, and competition from cheaper poultry imports.

By early 2025, Daybreak was reportedly unable to pay suppliers or workers. A US$5.3 million (R100 million) emergency loan from supermarket giant Shoprite remained unpaid as of February. 

On May 9, the PIC announced it had released US$13.3 million (R250 million) in relief funding for distressed poultry producers, including Daybreak Foods.

The NSPCA, meanwhile, has lodged formal charges of animal cruelty against the company and is preparing to pursue legal action. 

As public outrage grows, the South African government has initiated talks with Daybreak’s management to determine a way forward and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.

The fate of the company, once a key player in the national poultry sector, remains uncertain as legal and financial pressures mount.

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