What’s Wrong with McDonald’s?

Animal Equality

June 25, 2019 Updated: August 20, 2023

While its biggest competitors have made meaningful changes for animals, McDonald’s lags behind. Here’s what makes Ronald McDonald a threat to animal welfare.

As it turns out, there’s nothing happy about a McDonald’s Happy Meal.

While animal abuse can be found in many restaurants’ supply chains, McDonald’s is perhaps one of the worst offenders. But what makes Ronald McDonald an animal’s worst nightmare?

Let’s find out.

UNNATURAL CONDITIONS:

Chicks in nature form strong bonds with their mothers, who nurture them and teach them life skills. But chickens in the commercial meat industry – like those raised for McDonald’s – never get to meet their mothers. They are crammed into filthy sheds where they can’t even breathe fresh air.

NO ROOM TO MOVE:

Chickens in McDonalds’ supply chain are crammed in sheds with tens of thousands of other birds. Usually, they are each given space the size of an iPad. And because there’s no minimum space requirement, some birds are given even less space. This intense confinement causes health issues and limits the birds’ access to food and water. As for psychological suffering, it’s the equivalent of being confined in a crowded elevator for your entire life.

LIVING IN FILTH:

The birds’ litter is rarely changed, forcing chickens to sit, eat, and sleep in their own urine and feces. Because they’re often too heavy to lift themselves off the ground, ammonia burns their bellies. This causes feather loss and painful boils.

BRED TO GROW UNNATURALLY LARGE:

To increase profits, McDonalds’ suppliers use artificial selection. Chickens grow so large and so quickly that their legs buckle under their own weight. This causes pain, organ failure, heart attacks, and an inability to walk. Because of their crippling leg deformities, many chickens die when they can’t reach food and water.

PAINFUL DEATHS:

The birds who survive these conditions are shipped to slaughterhouses. Workers shackle the terrified birds upside down by their legs, and they are often slaughtered without proper stunning. This means many are conscious when their throats are slit, and they are scalded to death when they reach the hot defeathering tanks.

FALLING BEHIND THE TIMES:

Over 200 brands – including McDonalds’ competitors – have already committed to meaningful changes for animals. Meanwhile, McDonald’s puts profits over compassion. It’s time for a change!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

By signing Animal Equality’s petition to end factory farming, you can tell the U.S. government that you stand against these practices.

But did you know you can also defend animals from the drive-through to the grocery store?

Millions of people worldwide have replaced meat, dairy, and eggs with delicious, diverse, and colorful plant-based proteins. At Love Veg, we’ve provided you with free resources to help you begin your own plant-based journey.