Poultry producer Foster Farms has launched a comprehensive investigation into its Fresno, CA facilities after an animal rights group published an online video depicted workers ripping out feathers of live birds, throwing birds and slamming chickens into metal shackles.
The video, shot by Mercy For Animals, is reported by the group to have been shot between April and June at a Foster Farms slaughterhouse in Fresno and nearby farms, according to the Associated Press.
Fresno police say they are investigating the allegations in response to a complaint from Mercy for Animals.
Foster Farms called the behavior in the video inappropriate and “counter to our stringent animal welfare standards, procedures and policies.
The company is in full cooperation with authorities.