Animal welfare officers are investigating how nearly 200,000 chickens died early on Saturday morning at a chicken farm in Helensville.
The Ministry for Primary Industries says the deaths, which RNZ has been told occured at a Tegel farm, were due to a back-up generator failing to kick in when the power went out.
Animal rights group SAFE says the deaths are unacceptable, and that it was clear the birds were treated "as units of production rather than sentient animals that they are, who suffer".
Poultry Industry Association's executive director Michael Brooks speaks to Philippa Tolley.
