Thousands of Chickens Tortured by KFC Supplier

In July 2004, PETA revealed the results of an investigation into a KFC-supplying slaughterhouse in Moorefield, West Virginia, where workers were caught on video stomping on chickens, kicking them, and violently slamming them against floors and walls. Workers also ripped the animals' beaks off, twisted their heads off, spat tobacco into their eyes and mouths, spray-painted their faces, and squeezed their bodies so hard that the birds expelled feces—all while the chickens were still alive. Dan Rather echoed the views of all kind people when he said on the CBS Evening News, “[T]here's no mistaking what [the video] depicts: cruelty to animals, chickens horribly mistreated before they're slaughtered for a fast-food chain.”

The video from the investigation was broadcast by television stations around the world as well as all three national evening news shows, Good Morning America, and all the cable news networks. Plus, more than a million people have watched the footage on PETA's Web site.

The world's leading animal welfare experts condemned the cruelty at this KFC supplier. Colorado State University professor of animal science, biomedical sciences, and philosophy, university distinguished professor, and university bioethicist Dr. Bernard Rollin writes, “I can unequivocally state that the behavior I saw exemplified in [this] videotape was totally unacceptable. … The tape showed evidence of a work force that apparently failed to recognize that chickens are living sentient beings capable of feeling pain and distress.” Dr. Temple Grandin, perhaps the industry's leading farmed-animal welfare expert, writes, “The behavior of the plant employees was atrocious,” and asserts that even though she has toured poultry facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, and the U.K., the video showed “the WORST employee behavior I have ever seen in a poultry plant.” University of Guelph professor of applied ethology and university chair in animal welfare Dr. Ian Duncan writes, “This tape depicts scenes of the worst cruelty I have ever witnessed against chickens … and it is extremely hard to accept that this is occurring in the United States of America.”

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What You Can Do

The best thing you can do to help spare animals from such torture is to stop eating them and, thus, stop supporting the industry that allows such cruelty to occur. Order a free vegetarian starter kit, full of delicious recipes. We'll also include a free DVD.

This facility was a KFC “Supplier of the Year.” Learn more about PETA's campaign to reform KFC.

Even though more than 9 billion birds are killed each year by the meat and egg industries, these animals are not protected by a single federal animal welfare law. Legislation will be introduced soon to add chickens, turkeys, and ducks to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Please ask your senators and representative to support this legislation once it's introduced. Click here for the contact information for your elected officials.