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Mallorca egg farm reported over alleged hygiene and welfare failures
Animal groups say hens were kept near decomposing carcasses and eggs were infested with mites at a Manacor farm
A poultry farm in Manacor, Mallorca, has been reported to the Balearic Islands Public Prosecutor’s Office over alleged hygiene and animal welfare failures.Animal and environmental protection organisations ARDE and Satya Animal filed the complaint after an investigation carried out in July. They say the farm, on the Mirabó estate, has two sheds housing nearly 40,000 hens.
The organisations claim live chickens were kept alongside carcasses in various stages of decomposition, while mites were found on eggs and some birds.
Footage released by the groups also shows cockroaches, accumulated manure and facilities in a poor state of repair, according to the complaint.
The images show birds with partial or total feather loss, open wounds on their faces and necks, and injuries including the absence of an eyeball. Chickens with pale combs and the remains of dead animals on the ground are also visible.
A veterinary report submitted with the complaint warns of possible food safety risks. It says eggs in contact with excrement and organic matter, as well as their proximity to dead animals, could increase the risk of contamination. The report adds that mites can act as reservoirs for Salmonella.
The farm is said to have experienced a Salmonella outbreak in 2025, which led to its eggs being removed from supermarket shelves.
The farm belongs to Avícola Ballester. According to the complaint, the company was fined €200,000 in 2025 by the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment.
That penalty related to the presence of rodent carcasses and chickens dead for more than 24 hours, a lack of health records and other hygiene deficiencies.
The company also received a €150,000 fine in 2024. It related to operating a farm without the necessary integrated environmental authorisation since 2017 and improper management of excrement.
ARDE and Satya Animal believe the documented conditions could breach rules on the protection of laying hens, poultry farm management, animal health and animal welfare.
The complaint has now been submitted to the relevant authorities for investigation. It comes after Avícola Ballester submitted a project in June to build another farm in Manacor, with two buildings and capacity for 80,000 hens.
Image: wikicommons
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