A poultry farm director has been sentenced after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to thousands of chickens at a farm in Fulstow, near Louth, in Lincolnshire.
Noreen Ahmed, 44, of Bridge Lane, Fulstow, pleaded guilty to two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals at Lincoln Crown Court on 20 August 2026.
Mrs Ahmed was handed a 27-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to pay £6,807.98 in costs.
She was also banned from owning, keeping, dealing and transporting poultry for a period of three years.
The case arose from multiple inspections carried out between January and March 2025 at Low Farm by Lincolnshire County Council Trading Standards officers and veterinary inspectors from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Approximately 83,000 broiler chickens (chickens raised specifically for meat production) were housed across four poultry sheds at the farm.
Inspectors repeatedly identified significant welfare concerns affecting the birds, including wet and dirty bedding, poor environmental conditions, water entering sheds, inadequate management practices, and a failure to remove unwell and undersized birds.
Veterinary evidence from farm visits, and checks at slaughterhouses revealed high levels of pododermatitis, a painful condition causing lesions and ulcers to birds' feet.
Veterinarians concluded that the conditions found on the farm caused unnecessary pain and suffering to the chickens.
The court heard that concerns had been raised with the farm on a number of occasions before the offences and that improvement measures had previously been required.
Despite this, serious welfare issues continued to be identified during subsequent inspections.
Sentencing, Mrs Recorder S Jenkins found prolonged and repeated neglect and a lack of compliance with training, telling Mrs Ahmed that she had shown a “deliberate failure to act upon the recommendations and advice she was being provided with.”
Cllr Alex McGonigle, executive councillor for community safety at Lincolnshire County Council, said:
“Lincolnshire is renowned for its rich agricultural heritage and while the vast majority of farmers work hard to maintain high standards of animal welfare, the conditions at Low Farm fell unacceptably short.
“Whilst our preference is always to work with farmers to improve standards, in this case our repeated advice and support went unheeded, and with serious welfare concerns continuing, we had to prosecute.
“I hope this sentencing sends a clear message that where standards are inadequate, we will take decisive action to protect the health of livestock and prevent further unnecessary suffering.”
If you have any concerns about animals being mistreated in Lincolnshire, you can report this to Lincolnshire Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or by visiting www.citizensadvice.org/consumer.