by Chrissy K

Created on: November 10, 2007   Last Updated: November 02, 2009

The great deals every week, and the delicious chicken has many of us flocking to KFC for a snack or a meal; however, how many of us are aware of how KFC treats their chicken? PETA launched a Kentucky Friend Campaign that protests against Kentucky's cruelty towards treating the chickens. PETA hopes that through the campaign KFC will open their eyes, and see that the ways they are treating the chicken are inhumane, and other methods should be used instead.

KFC's own animal welfare advisors have advised that KFC change some of the methods that they use; however, they got no reply, and KFC did not even bat an eyelash when PETA gave them a warning of their investigation. Many of the KFC advisors have even resigned due to the frustration and cruelty that is around.

There is a saying that if these warehouses had glass walls everyone would become a vegetarian. The truth is many warehouses are placed in locations that are hardly ever noticed; thus, this matter is not being placed out in the open.

According to PETA, undercover investigators have gone into KFC warehouses, and learned the truth of what happens to the chicken. For one, the chickens were oversized although they were pretty young. They are squeezed into little cages that may be broken and cause them to lose a foot or a wing at times. Their living conditions are horrible, and they often have dirt and feces all over them and stink of ammonia fumes. To slaughter the birds, their throats are slit; those who did not get their throats slit will have to suffer the consequence of being dumped into hot scalding water alive. Lastly, live chickens may frequently suffer abuse from the workers. Over 850 million chickens are killed each year. Imagine how many chickens suffer!

So far, there are many people who have signed the petition and boycotted at a KFC; celebrities have joined in with PETA as well. Some of them are Pamela Anderson, Pink, Sir Paul McCartney, Fall Out Boy, and Black-eyed Peas.

The KFC petition asks KFC to breed for health rather than profit and growth, switched to mechanized chicken gathering which would limit the broken wings and feet, switch to controlled-atmosphere killing which would prevent the suffering of being abused by the workers, getting their throats slit, and being dumped into scalding hot water while still alive.

PETA says you can help the chicken by signing the petition, demonstrating at KFC, being an online activist, write to KFC, etc. You can go to www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com to learn all about this petition.

Learn more about this author, Chrissy K.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.