We know that factory farms are no picnic for animals. But what investigators found in this 'Egg Corp Assured' cage egg farm left us speechless...

Isolated incident? Sadly, no. Investigators have reported seeing live hens trapped in manure pits beneath tiers of battery cages in other factory farms too.

Surviving on scraps, bugs, and eggs Dozens of hens trapped in this manure pit did not have visible access to feed or water, but were seen to be surviving on manure beetles and their own eggs.

'Lucky' ones? As putrid as it is to live among rotting faeces, these hens could at least move, stretch their wings, and lay their eggs in private — freedoms denied to their caged sisters.

Falling through the cracks — literally Live hens sometimes 'escape' when workers routinely remove the carcasses of birds who die inside cages. These hens are believed to have fallen into the pits below.

Evidence of long-term abandonment Varying degrees of feather re-growth would suggest that hens have been living in the manure pit for varying lengths of time — from several days to many months.

Rooster? Investigators filmed what appears to be a rooster among the colony of hens trapped in the manure pit. Defeathered, he too will have endured a year or more in a cage.

'Egg Corp Assured' Like many egg factory farms, this PACE farm is "Egg Corp Assured", which according to the industry is "a mark of a quality product produced under strict guidelines."

Supplying the same company that supplies McDonald's This facility supplies eggs for PACE — the same egg company that supplies major retailers, hotels and even McDonald's.

Ties to the very top of the egg industry Eggs from this farm are sold under the PACE brand — the owner of which serves on the board of the peak industry body, the Australian Egg Corporation Limited.

'State of the art' facility The PACE website describes its farms as 'state of the art', boasting the 'highest standards in animal husbandry'.

120,000 birds — on one 'farm' In massive factory farms like this, it is impossible to monitor the welfare of individual animals. Rather, a key measure of 'success' is how many birds remain alive.

Repeatedly reported for animal cruelty This is the second time in as many years that Animals Australia has reported this PACE farm to authorities for serious breaches of animal welfare laws.

'Get a ladder' After receiving Animals Australia's 2013 complaint, authorities instructed farm management to 'get a ladder' in order to be able to see hens in the 5th tier of cages.

Neglected hens; rotting carcasses This hen was one of several found standing on the bodies of rotting cage-mates in 2013 — revealing that hens' health had not been properly monitored for weeks.

Illegal overcrowding in 2013 Animals Australia first reported illegal overcrowding in this PACE egg farm in 2013. Up to six laying hens were found crammed inside many of the cages.

Illegal overcrowding in 2014 Over a year later, the same farm has been re-reported by Animals Australia for confining more birds per cage than is permitted by law.

Visible signs of long-term stress These hens are "defeathered" — why? Apart from rubbing up against wire all day, stressed hens resort to pecking at their cage mates out of boredom and frustration.

Complete failure of the auditing system Even after being officially reported for cruelty, industry-funded audits have completely failed to ensure even the most minimum animal welfare standards are being met.

An inherently cruel and outdated system The barren battery cage has already been banned in the European Union for unacceptable cruelty. Hens suffering in Australian battery cages need your voice.

You can help end this madness Hens are sensitive animals with unique personalities who don't deserve a lifetime of suffering. Help free these amazing animals from suffering by taking action now!

Say NO to egg cruelty!

Animals are literally living in sh*t. And these are the lucky ones! The suffering of a hen in a battery cage is something no words can do justice ... a lifetime in a cage ... a lifetime of misery.

When animals who live trapped among towers of rotting faeces have a better quality of life than the ones still 'in the system' — something needs to change.

And it starts with you. You can help end the suffering of hens in factory farms simply by never buying cage eggs. Or have an even bigger impact for chickens by giving egg-free a go!*

Thousands of caring Aussies are already making the choice to not buy into the cruelty of cage eggs. And every time someone just like you makes a kinder choice for chickens, the ripples of change get stronger. In fact, due to demand from customers, Woolworths has said that they'll stop selling cage eggs by 2018!

Join the movement for a kinder world for chickens today by making the pledge to never buy cage eggs, or by going egg-free!* No one deserves to live like the animals in this video — and no one has to! We CAN free all chickens from cages. Be the change and pledge today!

*Why egg-free you ask? Well, have you ever wondered where all the male chicks are? The answer might shock you ... a male chick can't lay eggs so he will usually be killed shortly after hatching. That's millions of day-old chicks thrown into grinders or gassed to death every year in Australia. Don't believe it? Watch here.

Make the pledge!

"Hens deserve better than a life sentence in a cage. I pledge to help protect chickens from cruelty by not buying cage eggs, or going egg-free!*"