This year 176,000 animals died in factory farm fires in the Netherlands and a further 163,000 died in the summer heatwave, according to animal rights group Wakker Dier.

The worst incidents of the year include arson at a chicken farm which killed 100,000 young chicks. A further 150,000 chicks died of heat stress in the summer when the ventilation system in their barn broke down.

‘We do not protect our animals properly,’ said spokeswoman Anne Hilhorst. ‘If there is a fire or if it gets too hot, then they are caught in a trap.’

While farm fires have been a serious issue for years, this year the heatwaves caused particular problems, as temperatures soared to over 40 degrees in pig and chicken barns.

Wakker Dier is now calling on the government to come up with an emergency plan to deal with the impact of heatwaves on factory farm animals.