Some 42,000 chickens have died in a fire at a factory farm in Friesland, local broadcaster Omrop Fryslan said on Wednesday.

The chickens, which were new to the farm, were housed in two barns at the farm in the village of Niawier. The fire brigade managed to stop the fire spreading to a third barn, the broadcaster said.

The fire is the latest in a string of fires at factory farms in the Netherlands. According to animal rights lobby group Wakker Dier, prior to the latest fire, there had been 11 factory farm blazes this year, killing158,000 birds and pigs. The biggest, involving 100,000 chickens, was in early July.

Last year 122,000 animals died in fires at factory farms in the Netherlands but the government said it would not force farmers to take further measures to prevent fires breaking out because of the cost of the investment.

The current measures do not include compulsory lightning conductors and sprinkler systems.