The head of the nation's peak pork body has condemned the actions of animal activists after new footage of pigs in stalls was released, the second illegally obtained footage from the Young region reported in a fortnight.
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Australian Pork chief executive Andrew Spencer said the new eight-minute night video of sows in stalls on the Lansdowne Piggery at Young, about 150 kilometres north-west of Canberra, showed distressed pigs.
"There is something there exceptional: those pigs have been taunted, they're frenzied, they've been worked up by those people filming, and this is despicable for an organisation intending to protect animal welfare," he said.
"Normally they're extremely calm, lying down and nuzzling around."
The footage shows pigs chewing on the bars of their stalls, with some sniffing the empty trough in front of them amid a chorus of squealing.
Some appear agitated, while others appear content.
Animal Liberation ACT spokeswoman Jessica Ferry disputed the claim activists had taunted the pregnant sows, but defended the need to break the law to protect animals.
"Activists don't want to be doing this stuff, but someone has to speak up for these animals," she said.
Ms Ferry said the footage was taken in the past month but Animal Liberation ACT and NSW did not go into the farms themselves.
It was revealed by Fairfax Agricultural Media last week that Blantyre Farms in the Young region had found video surveillance equipment in a farrowing shed, and intruders had been detected but not caught on May 12.
Animal Liberation spokeswoman Lynda Stoner confirmed two of the group's members were involved in an incident at Blantyre Farms on the date in question.
Lansdowne Piggery owner Ean Pollard - the NSW Farmers' Pork Committee chairman - said the 400 animals in the filmed shed, fed once a day, would have expected to be fed when the intruders disturbed them.
"They've become agitated because there's no feed, only people running around with flashlights, filming," he said.
The primary producer has alerted Young police, and said he expected to make a statement to them early next week.
Lachlan Livestock Health and Pest Authorities vet Eliz Braddon completed an independent inspection of the Lansdowne Piggery on Tuesday, at Mr Pollard's request.
"It was clean, the pigs were content and quiet when approached, and the piggery staff showed care and concern for the pigs in their care," Dr Braddon said.
■ The video in relation to Lansdowne Piggery can be viewed at www.aussiepigs.com.au
