HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – In a case animal rights activists say may be the first of its kind, a Pennsylvania egg farm was charged with animal cruelty in the wake of a videotape showing hens allegedly impaled by cage wires and living among decomposing chickens.

An investigator affiliated with the animal rights group Compassion Over Killing and posing as an employee made the tape and showed it to a humane society police officer.

The farm’s chief executive, H. Glenn Esbenshade, and a manager, Jay Musser, were each charged Monday with 35 counts of animal cruelty.

A spokesman for the farm questioned whether the investigator helped create poor conditions by neglecting chickens.

“The person who obtained the video did so while he was supposed to be performing his job, which would include addressing the needs of the birds within this particular facility,” said Christian Herr, vice president of the industry group PennAg, speaking for farm officials.

Paul Shapiro of the Humane Society of the United States said he believed the charges are the first nationally against an egg producer alleging cruelty as part of hens’ normal living conditions.

Pennsylvania is the nation’s third-largest egg producer.

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On the Net:

Compassion Over Killing investigation: http://www.cok.net/feat/paefi.php