An Italian court has thrown out animal cruelty charges brought against a jeweler who displayed a hen and chicks in the window of his shop.

The judge threw out a fine levied last year against the Rovereto jeweler, saying the birds were given enough room to move in the "Golden Eggs" window display and were not subject to worse conditions than chickens raised at commercial farms, ANSA reported Wednesday.

The fine had been imposed by authorities after an animal rights activist complained the hen and chicks were not given adequate space and were subject to constant stress from window-tapping and bright lighting.