Actress, animal activist, and mother Daniella Monet is taking a stand for chickens by telling the story of Rose—a chick raised by an ALDI supplier.
Last year Mercy For Animals released a groundbreaking animal welfare report that ranks retailers by the treatment of chickens in their supply chains. While companies like Whole Foods and Sprouts Farmers Market have demonstrated clear leadership on animal welfare, retailers like ALDI, Target, and Winn-Dixie have not published meaningful chicken welfare policies, failing to ban practices that cause the greatest suffering in their chicken supply chains.
We followed up the report by releasing heartbreaking hidden-camera footage shot at a contract farm for an ALDI chicken supplier. Our investigator documented tens of thousands of chickens packed inside filthy, overcrowded sheds and forced to live in their own waste. Rose was one of those chickens.
Rose’s Story
In a new video with Mercy For Animals, Daniella Monet states that Rose’s tale is especially challenging for her to share as a mother. She continues, however, because it is “vitally important that Rose’s story be told so that ALDI sees that this cruelty is unacceptable.”
Daniella explains that after hatching, Rose was among thousands of babies packed into crates and transferred to a farm. Our investigative footage shows workers tossing chicks from the crates onto the ground as though they were objects.
Rose’s days-old flockmates suffered horrific injuries and illnesses, such as gaping wounds and painful lesions. Many of these babies were too sick to stand or even lift their heads. Daniella describes the heartbreaking scene: “Some died almost immediately—their organs spilling from their bodies.” Rose rested her head on a dead companion.
Like the other chicks, Rose was bred to grow too large too fast. Her legs were not strong enough to support her, and she couldn’t even reach water without our investigator’s help.
In nature, chicks form close relationships with their mothers. Yet at factory farms, chicks like Rose never even meet their mothers. The touch of our investigator, who stroked her feathers and gave her a moment’s comfort, may have been the only kindness Rose ever knew.
Take Action
At the end of the video, Daniella calls on all of us to join her by taking action! Visit ALDIUncovered.com to demand that ALDI adopt a meaningful chicken welfare policy to address the worst abuse permitted in their supply chain.
