Shocking undercover footage recorded by Mercy For Animals investigators at multiple chicken factory farms across Brazil, including facilities supplying BRF, JBS, Ad’oro, and Friaves—some of the largest poultry companies in the country—reveals immense suffering. Investigators documented workers viciously killing days-old chicks by smashing their necks into pipes and feed bins, chickens bred to grow so quickly they suffered disabling leg deformities, and animals in pain from untreated injuries and illnesses.
“From the day the chicks hatch until the day they are killed, their short lives are filled with misery and deprivation, said Lucas Alvarenga, vice president of MFA in Brazil. “As a civilized society, we have a moral obligation to prevent suffering for all animals, including chickens and other farmed animals.
The new investigation comes after the European Union decided to ban imports from 20 Brazilian poultry plants as a result of a food-safety scandal involving slaughterhouse inspectors accused of accepting bribes to allow the sale of spoiled meat. For these companies, nothing matters more than turning a profit.
Chickens at factory farms are treated as mere meat-producing machines. Many chickens suffer heart attacks, debilitating abnormalities, and broken legs, which buckle under the weight of the birds’ unnaturally large bodies. At factory farms, these animals can’t engage in many basic natural behaviors—like foraging, dustbathing, and waking with the sunrise.
Chickens are every bit as capable of experiencing pain as our beloved dogs and cats and they deserve the same protection. But chickens make up 97 percent of all land animals farmed in Brazil, and 6 billion chickens suffer each year in this horrible industry.
Disgusted by factory farms? Join thousands of people taking one-minute daily actions to help millions of animals—become a Hen Hero today.
And remember, the only way to stop the suffering of chickens and other farmed animals is to stop eating them. For helpful tips on leaving chickens and other animals off your plate, please visit ChooseVeg. Then check out all the mouthwatering plant-based products available, including Gardein’s Crispy Chick’n Sliders and Barbecue Chick’n Wings. Or try some compassionate vegan recipes.
