'Unbelievable' cruelty: 1000 chicks dumped in field in UK

  • 19/02/2017

More than 1000 newly-hatched chicks have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves in a field in the United Kingdom, sparking an investigation by the RSPCA.

The vulnerable birds were found huddling together to keep warm in the freezing temperatures, but it was too late for some. Many were found dead or dying.

"I have never seen anything like it - it was just a sea of yellow," RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs said.

"Some, sadly, had to be humanely put to sleep. Thankfully, most of the chicks did not appear to be suffering."

The chicks were spotted by a passerby in a field in near Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire, on Friday.

The chicks were put into boxes so they could huddle together for warmth (RSPCA)
The chicks were put into boxes so they could huddle together for warmth (RSPCA)

"These tiny birds wouldn't have survived long out on their own at such a young age and in such unpredictable weather conditions. For someone to dump these vulnerable chicks is unbelievable," Mr Stubbs said.

It is believed the chicks belonged to a commercial chick producer and may have been abandoned by a third party. 

The RSPCA said the producer was cooperating with their investigations.

Newshub.