We've uncovered one of animal agriculture's dark and hidden secrets. Through 800 hours of footage, the harrowing lives of 'working boars', hidden from public view, have come to light, as featured in the Independent. These animals endured prolonged suffering in concrete pens for years, never being allowed outdoors, and were subjected to daily violence from staff, including being stabbed with pitchforks and struck with pipes. They were forced to participate in legalised sexual acts; those who did not cooperate were drugged and beaten.
Innovis, a Red Tractor-approved supplier to Hermitage AI—a leader in the UK pig industry—has operated with up to 130 boars for 15 years. Despite its established reputation, our investigation unveils an environment where cruelty is not only overlooked but institutionalised. The farm operates within a system where legal and unethical practices are rampant, raising profound ethical and regulatory concerns within the UK pig farming industry.
"You really are the most fucking ugly bastard nowadays aren't ya. You'll be gone, you will. Nasty bastard!" – 'AI Collection Operative'
Bestiality—sexual acts involving animals—is so taboo that the mere mention often provokes discomfort, disgust, and moral outrage. Yet, in pig farming, non-consensual sexual acts are routine, sanctioned by the industry and legalised by the UK government. The abuse on boar farms remains particularly hidden from scrutiny, with minimal information or guidelines available publicly.
At Innovis, boars were forced onto 'boar mount stools,' where collection operatives manually masturbated the animals to collect semen for distribution in the UK pig industry. When boars resisted semen collection, staff shouted and threatened them with insults like: "Get in there, you fat c*nt!" and "Get this done, you tw*t!"
The collected semen is shipped across the country to both Red Tractor-approved and RSPCA Assured facilities, including Cranswick and BQP farms. Despite this, RSPCA Assured has no guidance for stud boar farms, so even the so-called 'highest welfare' sows are being grossly inseminated with semen from farms like Innovis, where abuse and violence are rife. This emphasises the point that boar farms slip under the radar, and workers are seemingly free to do as they please.
Our investigation reveals a toxic atmosphere of abuse and intimidation at Innovis. Physical violence towards boars was widespread and normalised. Over the documented period, boars were hit hundreds of times – every day, by every staff member. Over one six-hour period, staff hit boars almost 300 times. Boars were hit 58 times within just one hour. Pigs were punched, struck with metre-long plastic pipes, had their tails pulled, rammed with metal gates, kicked in their testes, stomachs and faces, and stabbed with metal pitchforks. Workers routinely subjected terrified boars to violent outbursts, screaming and swearing in their faces. Boars were relentlessly verbally abused: "f*cking lazy c*nt," "evil f*cker," "nasty b*stard," "fucking ugly b*stard," "piece of f*cking shit," "sh*t for brains," "little c*nt," "d*ckhead," "little f*ck," "f*cking idiot," and "ars*hole".
Boars were filmed with cuts and scratches on their bodies – some clearly the result of the abuse inflicted by workers – with visible rows of four pitchfork puncture marks on their bodies.
One boar was filmed being struck nine times in the face with a paddle and another 11 times. Notably, staff did not use pig boards to manage movements, opting instead for direct physical strikes with implements. Even light taps from a plastic pipe can cause "extensive bruising," according to the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA).
“The animal handling and care shown on this unit is truly shocking. Pigs are verbally and physically abused, appear to be neglected, and dosed with off-label drugs to the point of severe side effects and possibly even death. The force used in handling these animals, who show no aggression towards workers, is beyond excessive, and employs the use of inappropriate tools as weapons to inflict pain and fear.” – Dr Alice Brough BVM&S MRCVS, Veterinarian
Research shows that pigs require stimulation and foraging opportunities, spending up to 75% of their day exploring natural environments. Their inquisitive nature and intelligence make the conditions at Innovis especially troubling. The boars lead depressing, unstimulated lives, imprisoned in concrete pens just a few metres long. They had minimal straw – the only form of 'enrichment' they received.
Many boars exhibited signs of frustration and boredom, including aggression, bar-biting, and unusual behaviours such as staring at their shadows. They chewed on drinkers, fought with their pen mates, paced aimlessly, and stared through bars. Every boar on the farm was seen with a docked tail, which is legally not meant to be a routine procedure. Tail biting occurred several times despite their tails being docked to short stumps.
Multiple pigs were seen nuzzling and biting at the concrete floors to break pieces off. They subsequently played with and chewed the pieces, reflecting the desolate lives that they're forced to endure.
Many boars showed severe lameness, struggling to bear weight or walk, both within the pens and when being moved to and from collection rooms. This lameness may stem from long-term confinement on unsanitary, slippery floors and a lack of basic veterinary care. We observed overgrown hooves and abnormal gaits, with some boars collapsing as a result. One boar was filmed walking on his elbows, yet he was still forced to mount the boar mount stool. Struggling boars were moved to the collection room despite their inability to bear weight on their legs. Lame boars were left untreated for extended periods despite claims of weekly veterinary oversight.
A second boar, who couldn’t lift his back legs in the collection room, was brought out into the yard; this was the first time he would have been allowed outside. He was acutely distressed and unable to walk, collapsing and flailing on the concrete floor. The workers injected him, pushed him, pulled his tail and even joked “we do try not to kill a pig everyday, just every other day”.
The documented evidence reveals breaches of inadequate DEFRA welfare codes and Red Tractor standards. Our investigation highlights multiple violations of animal welfare regulations, particularly the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007. Neither piece of legislation ‘protects’ pigs, yet even these weren’t met.
DEFRA regulations require that only competent operators handle semen collection and artificial insemination. However, staff at Innovis routinely displayed incompetence and poor handling practices. Boars should be handled calmly and at their own pace, yet they were frequently subjected to aggressive shouting and rough handling. Staff used hands, feet, pipes, paddles, pitchforks, gates, and doors to strike boars, targeting sensitive areas like their eyes, faces, stomachs, and testes.
DEFRA also advises against sudden noise and movement, yet Innovis workers routinely employed loud shouting and banging pipes to rush and intimidate the boars, resulting in escalated stress. Innovis staff's gross incompetence and indifference demonstrate a profound lack of empathy and expertise, raising urgent questions about the ethical oversight associated with Red Tractor's certification of Innovis and the entire pig industry.
In addition to physical violence, boars were frequently injected with drugs to hasten semen collection. Enzaprost injections were administered when boars were "reluctant to jump" before being masturbated by staff. Workers stabbed them hard in the neck with the needle, and several boars cried out. One staff member gave multiple shots to several boars, waiting no time between. One staff member said, "We tend to give him Lute just to speed him up a little bit." These injections, intended to increase libido, carry side effects, including incoordination, irritation and vomiting. Some boars scratched excessively after receiving these injections, and one boar was aggressively shouted at for vomiting following multiple injections of Enzaprost, which the worker stated was enough to “kill a few”.
"Innovis and their workers must comply with section 4 and section 9 Animal Welfare Act 2006. There are copious failings of those duties across the undercover footage where these safeguards are violated, and workers intentionally cause the boars pain and suffering. It is wholly unacceptable to hit, strike or kick pigs, whether using a body part or an implement. There are clear breaches of these requirements given the unsanitary and slippery walkways coated with urine and faeces. There is a lack of suitable bedding or enrichment in some of the pens leaving animals to resort to pacing, playing with the concrete floor or fighting." – Ayesha Smart, Specialist Barrister in Animal Welfare Law
Multiple boars were threatened by staff during our filming. If they were not cooperating, workers stated they'd add them to the 'cull list' or send them to the abattoir. One member of staff explained that once boars grew too large to handle or their semen motility decreased, they'd be sent to slaughter.
After years of living in barren living conditions and being beaten and stabbed by Innovis staff, boars would be sent to the slaughterhouse, where they'd likely be butchered and processed into cheap sausages. On average, stud boars are killed around 5-7 years old. Five years of torment. Five years of abuse. Five years of horror.
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