SHOCKING footage and pictures show starving pigs eating each other alive – at a “high welfare” farm.

Too weak to defend themselves, harrowing pictures – which were posted to social media – show dead pigs with bloodied faces strewn over the floor of the McGuckian Brothers farm in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

6 A pig stares at an activist’s camera from inside its enclosure Credit: Liza Blomfagra

6 The weakest pigs were defenceless to being eaten alive Credit: Casper Hilt

The footage, revealed by animal rights activists Meat The Victims, have sparked investigations by the government and Red Tractor, a food assurance scheme, which has since suspended the farm’s membership.

The undercover investigation was led by Tuesday Goti, a full-time vegan activist who labelled the experience as “absolutely harrowing”.

She told The Metro: “One of the pigs actually had a hole in both of her sides and she was been cannibalised.

“They were eating her while she was alive – she didn’t even have the strength to scream.

“She was just softly whimpering and there was nothing we could do, but watch that.”

They were eating her while she was alive – she didn’t even have the strength to scream Tuesday Goti

Graphic still images and video revealed the shocking extent behind closed doors.

Pigs can be seen brazenly limping around the pen with gaping wounds in their hind legs – slowly gnawed by its own kind.

Disgraced by what they saw, Ms Goti sparked a protest outside the "large scale" pig farm and said she was joined by activists from around the world, from as far as Canada, New Zealand, Spain and Germany.

Speaking on behalf of the farm, the Ulster Farmer Union (UFU) slammed the activists’ social media “grandstanding”, and said their claims didn’t reflect the standards on pig farms across Northern Ireland.

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A UFU spokesperson commented: “As a body representing farmers, the UFU will never condone or seek to justify poor animal welfare standards.

“If what has been claimed proves accurate, the UFU will not seek to justify it.

“But, it cannot accept the tactics of breaking into a farm, causing fear to individuals and seeking to hold them to ransom for a publicity opportunity.

“The protesters demonstrated a lack of real knowledge of the consequences of their actions.”

Red Tractor said they conducted an unannounced inspection of the farm within the last six months, but did not witness any of the conditions seen in the footage and pictures.

A spokesperson added: “We were shocked by the images we saw – protecting animal health and welfare is one of our top priorities and we take any breaches to our standards very seriously.”

The Sun Online has approached the McGuckian Brothers farm for comment.

6 Tuesday Goti, who led the undercover investigation, said she was sickened by the findings Credit: Meat The Victims

6 Dead pigs with bloodied faces are strewn across the floor Credit: Liza Blomfagra

6 This pig has gaping holes in its legs but is still alive Credit: Liza Blomfagra