PETA accuses Butterball of producing sexually violated turkeys

A PETA investigator has raised alarms over alleged animal abuse inside a Butterball turkey plant, claiming to have witnessed shocking acts of cruelty.

In a video released on Instagram, the investigator, who remains anonymous, describes his undercover experience at the facility. He claims to have seen workers sexually assaulting turkeys before they were slaughtered.

The investigator details incidents where workers allegedly humped shackled turkeys and inserted fingers into the birds' cloacas, which he described as their "vaginas," while the production line was halted. Footage from the plant shows one worker roughly handling a turkey, while another appears to be seen kicking a bird, saying, "I kicked the f*ck out of the motherf*cker." In another shot, a worker is shown seemingly sitting on a turkey.

While these new claims are disturbing, they are not the first time Butterball has faced such allegations. In 2017, PETA accused workers at a Butterball slaughterhouse in Ozark, Arkansas, of violently abusing turkeys, including kicking and throwing the birds. The organization also claimed that employees had inserted their fingers into female turkeys, echoing the recent accusations.

The investigator hopes this new video will shed light on the harsh realities of factory farming and prompt people to reconsider consuming turkey, particularly with Thanksgiving approaching. "If even one person sees this video and stops eating birds, it’ll be worth it," he stated at the end of the video.

The investigator highlights these disturbing acts of cruelty in the video, hoping to show consumers the harsh reality behind the products they buy. He emphasized that most people are unaware of the abuse that occurs before turkeys are packaged and sold. "These dark plants are kept away from main roads and certainly not shown on TV," he added. "I went to this Butterball House of Horrors to show people what the company never will."