Poultry producer ads mislead over Steggles brand, court rules A MAJOR poultry producer has defended its treatment of chickens after it was found falsely advertising that birds were "free to roam" in large barns. Baiada and Bartter Enterprises printed false, misleading and deceptive statements on Steggles brand packaging and advertisements, the Federal Court ruled. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleged that each bird had, on average, floor space of less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper. The Australian Chicken Meat Federation was also found to have engaged in false, misleading and deceptive conduct by claiming on its website that chickens raised in barns or sheds were "free to roam" or able to "roam freely." Justice Richard Tracey, who viewed several sheds during the trial, observed "the impression of a continuous wall-to-wall sea of birds." He said that at times in their growth cycle the chickens "could not move more than a metre or so (at most) without having their further movement obstructed by a barrier of clustered birds." Only when the flock had "thinned out" could they be said to be free to move around "at will and with a sufficient degree of unimpeded movement." Baiada Poultry Ltd said it had "strongly believed" it had accurately described farming methods. "Baiada and Bartter both strictly observed the industry standards and ensured that stocking levels were kept below the maxima prescribed by those standards," the ruling states. Australian Chicken Meat Federation executive director Andreas Dubs said the decision was disappointing. There was no intention to mislead people, and the "free to roam" term was removed when the ACCC first raised concerns. The parties are due to discuss orders, including penalties, on Friday.