Following a disturbing complaint, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) launched urgent inspections at Daybreak Farms, uncovering severe neglect that has led to the heartbreaking culling of hundreds of thousands of compromised birds.
Despite direct engagement with the Daybreak Board and the issuing of an official warning over the denial of feed and the suffering of vulnerable animals, Daybreak has failed to take action.
On Wednesday, 30 April 2025, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) was alerted to a dire situation: 200,000 birds at a Daybreak contract grower were without feed for days, resulting in mass cannibalism. The birds were over 28 days old but weighed under 700 grams.
Daybreak Foods was contacted, and through urgent intervention, the NSPCA was granted consent to cull. A poultry veterinarian also assessed the birds and confirmed they could not be salvaged. This resulted in approximately 200,000 birds being culled over two days.
On 01 May 2025, we received official correspondence from Daybreak Foods, which is a state-funded company, stating they were no longer able to supply feed and authorising the NSPCA to dispose of the chickens. Effectively abandoning the birds to starvation, Daybreak cited financial collapse as its reason for ceasing operations.
Faced with an animal welfare catastrophe, the NSPCA and Gauteng SPCAs had no choice but to intervene.
Daybreak’s original plan, which was to transport the birds to its abattoir in a last-ditch attempt to salvage their feet, was rejected by Veterinary Public Health officials. The emaciated birds were too small for the slaughter equipment, particularly the leg shackles and stunning bath, raising serious risks of inadequate stunning and inhumane slaughter.
The NSPCA mobilised a disaster response team of over 75 dedicated staff and volunteers from the NSPCA and local SPCAs. In the days following, more farms were uncovered with shocking cruelty and starvation. The mass culling began on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, and continued until 05 May 2025.
Since 01 May 2025, the NSPCA has rescued and placed over 500,000 birds on rearing farms. With the assistance of a producer, these birds received suitable feed after being denied food for several days. Unfortunately, over 350,000 birds from various farms could not be salvaged and had to be humanely culled.
The mortalities on each farm were a shocking indication of how long these birds were denied feed. At various sites, staff had not been paid, and the stench was unbearable, with thousands of mortalities unremoved from houses.
“This was one of the most emotionally and physically taxing operations our team has ever faced,” said Senior Inspector Nazareth Appalsamy, Manager of the NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit. “We were not there to save lives; we were there to end suffering. And that breaks every one of us.”
It was a harrowing scene: skeletal chickens huddled together, feeding lines stripped bare, some birds reportedly without food for more than 7 days. House by house, teams moved through the sheds, ending lives that had been reduced to silent suffering.
Yet again, when industrial agriculture fails, it is the SPCA, as a non-profit organisation, who is left to carry the burden. Despite intense media attention and public outrage, not one offer of support came from Daybreak.
It was our men and women in blue and white who stood between these animals and unrelenting suffering.
The NSPCA will pursue full prosecution of Daybreak for abandonment, neglect, and unnecessary cruelty. The NSPCA will be initiating criminal charges under the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 against Daybreak’s Board of Directors.
Rather than taking accountability, Daybreak chose to wash its hands of the crisis, dumping the responsibility onto the NSPCA. This disaster proves, once again, that when profit fails, compassion is left to pick up the pieces. The question we must all ask is, what would have happened if we were not there?
We extend our deepest gratitude to our colleagues from the following SPCAs, whose selfless commitment made this intervention possible: Alberton; Benoni; Boksburg; Brakpan; Edenvale; Germiston; Heidelberg; Johannesburg; Kempton Park; Midrand; Nigel; Parys; Randburg; Randwest; Roodepoort; Sandton; Springs; and Tshwane.
We will not rest until justice is served.
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