INVESTIGATION: Abuse Found At Known McDonald’s Supplier

TELL MCDONALD’S TO DO BETTER FOR CHICKENS: https://mcchickencruelty.com

Animal Equality has released distressing scenes of severe animal suffering on eight British chicken farms across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with our undercover filming revealing hundreds of birds suffering agonizing deaths each day. The investigation was featured as an exclusive in The Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/chicken-farms-ocado-tesco-thirst-moy-park-red-tractor-animal-cruelty-a9661216.html

THE DETAILS: Some of the farms are certified by the Red Tractor assurance scheme and operated by Moy Park, one of the UK’s largest chicken producers. Moy Park is a known supplier of McDonald’s, as well as supermarkets such as Tesco and Ocado. The troubling footage, captured covertly by an Animal Equality undercover investigator in late 2019, reveals:

- Chickens deprived of water as drinking troughs are routinely raised to a height that they are unable to reach;
- Hundreds of chickens suffering agonizing deaths each day as workers painfully crush the chicks’ necks in their hands;
- Chickens developing raw skin burns on their feet and chests from filthy, urine-soaked floors;
- Chickens bred to grow so big, so quickly, that they suffer from excruciating leg injuries and are unable to carry the weight of their own oversized bodies;
- Chickens crammed into immensely overcrowded barns, barely able to move or stretch their wings.

BUSINESS AS USUAL: These concerning scenes are reflective of an industry that values profit over animal welfare. Chickens raised for meat have been selectively bred over time to grow extremely large, incredibly quickly. As a result, many of them suffer from weak hearts, lungs, and legs, their bodies burdened by the strain of their unnaturally heavy bodies. After all this, they’re killed when they’re little more than one month old.

NOT THE FIRST TIME: Concerningly, two of the farms investigated have been the center of previous serious animal welfare complaints. Animal Equality filmed similarly poor conditions when last year we filmed inside Mount Farm, along with two other Moy Park farms. The investigation, released in June 2019, showed chickens crammed into gigantic sheds, in obvious pain from leg and breathing difficulties, and being forced to live amongst rotting carcasses. It’s clear that neither Moy Park nor Red Tractor took the animal suffering we found seriously. In July 2019, thousands of chickens were found to have died at Kettlethorpe Farm due to a sweltering heatwave and a lack of appropriate ventilation.

WHAT WE'RE SAYING: “The abuses we found on Moy Park’s farms are horrific and this unchecked cruelty must come to an end. We are calling on McDonald’s to join its competitors in signing on the Better Chicken Commitment and stop these terrible abuses from happening within its supply chain.” Sharon Núñez, President of Animal Equality.

DEMAND BETTER FOR CHICKENS: McDonald’s claims it cares about animals, but the poor chickens who suffer for its McNuggets and McChicken Sandwiches don’t stand a chance. You can make a difference for these birds by signing our petition calling for McDonald’s to eliminate some of the worst abuses for the chickens in its supply chain. Please visit https://mcchickencruelty.com to add your name and learn more about how you can help.