A group of ducks at a factory farm just outside Toronto was saved this week by animal activists who were protesting the conditions the creatures were living in at Stouffville's King Cole Ducks.

Members of the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere posted some graphic photos and videos of what rescuers discovered inside the King Cole facility, which, as a self-proclaimed "family farm," states on its website that it "has long been heralded for its leadership and stewardship in the area of animal care."

WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO 🚨 Vegan activists have posted shocking footage from inside a duck farm near Toronto #Ontario pic.twitter.com/YQ8yXmS6Lz

— blogTO (@blogTO) February 20, 2020

Some ducks were found injured, sick and dying or already dead in the dark "free run" barn. Others had legs, wings or beaks stuck in the wire flooring they were standing on.

Activists shut down a section of Warden Avenue in front of the farm on February 18 before occupying King Cole buildings and emerging with 26 ducks they have now taken into their care.

They were not only there to protest the practices of King Cole specifically and factory farms generally, but also new legislation that the Ontario government has proposed that would make it easier for farms to hide the conditions of their facilities and animals from the public.

Under Bill 156, activists, media and others would be dealt heavier-handed punishments —including fines up to $25,000 — for trespassing on farm property to document the circumstances the animals are living in, as well as for interacting with them.

WATCH: Activists in Canada have locked down in a duck factory farm, demanding an #AnimalBillOfRights and a stop to Bill 156.#RosesLaw #StopBill156
PART 1:https://t.co/barCAx1yUh
PART 2:https://t.co/B9cXlcG1xO pic.twitter.com/xxd7OeRmBp

— DxEverywhere (@DxEverywhere) February 18, 2020

Petitions have been launched to stop the bill from becoming law, as some say it will lead to more brutal animal abuse and exploitation behind closed doors.

The legislation's champions say it will protect farmers from the financial effects and other impacts of trespassers entering their property.

"If only I could take government ministers inside these places where animals are confined - I'd hope they'd change their minds about animals being thought of as food, and see that the animals are sentient beings who deserve protection," says Jenny McQueen, one of the Stouffville rescue organizers.

"They would then consider shutting down animal agriculture and divert subsides to growing plants. The environment would benefit, no animals would be cruelly confined, and the health of Canadians would also be improved."

Why love one but eat the other? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kR7BH22eek

— John Oberg (@JohnOberg) January 22, 2019

Demonstrators have in the past shown what kinds of horrors can often secretly lurk behind the banners "free range" and "family farm" in Canada and around the world.

Understandably, many prefer to remain blissfully unaware of the origin of their dinner, or what it and the animal it came from went through before it became a neat, disembodied piece of flesh wrapped in plastic on a shelf.