Peter Armitage, 41, was sentenced at Wick Sheriff Court where he was also banned from keeping animals for 15 years.

He had owned and operated an egg laying unit trading as Caithness Free Range Eggs Ltd. His operation was based at Lochquoy Farm, Durran, by Castletown, Caithness.

His 24-year-old former employee Kyle Mackay was given a community payback order requiring him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Mackay, who was 17 at the time of the offences, was employed as the farm manager and was in charge when Mr Armitage was not working.

The pair had previously pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to approximately 2,000 adult hens by failing to provide them with sufficient food and water, resulting in their deaths. They also pled guilty to allowing pigs access to hens, resulting in them attacking, killing, and consuming some of them.

Mr Armitage also admitted failing to keep the premises clean and maintained in good repair and condition, failing to ensure that adequate procedures were not in place to control pests, fed pigs with eggs and eggshells and allowed pigs and chickens to access and consume broken eggs.

The offences occurred between September 2016 and September 2017.

Speaking following the sentencing, Andy Shanks, procurator fiscal for Grampian, Highland and Islands, said: “The animal welfare and hygiene failings at Lochquoy Farm caused unnecessary suffering and pain to thousands of birds and introduced a significant public health risk through the supply of potentially contaminated eggs to wholesale and retail outlets across the Highland region.

“Peter Armitage and Kyle Mackay’s convictions were down to the collaborative multi-agency working involved in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.

“I would like to thank Highland Council, the Animal & Plant Health Agency, and the Scottish Government Poultry Unit for the part they played in getting this outcome.

“We expect the highest standards of our food producers and are committed to working with enforcing authorities to ensure that those who do not meet these standards are held to account.”