In a July 22 letter to the plant, copied to Yum! Brands and forwarded to The Associated Press, PETA says its investigator also obtained eyewitness testimony about employees "ripping birds' beaks off, spray painting their faces, twisting their heads off, spitting tobacco into their mouths and eyes, and breaking them in half -- all while the birds are still alive."

Damn! Everyone now and then something like this comes along that kind of makes me free bad for making PETA the butt of so many jokes. Good catch by them on this one.

Here's something that really makes me sick from Salon.com:

PETA video shows KFC supplier abusing chickens

July 20, 2004 | LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- An investigator for an animal rights group captured video showing chickens being kicked, stomped and thrown against a wall by workers at a supplier for Kentucky Fried Chicken, which has been under pressure since last year over the treatment of animals.

The footage, released online Tuesday, was secretly taken at the Pilgrim's Pride plant in Moorefield, W.Va., by an investigator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals who worked there from October to May.

Pilgrim's Pride received an anonymous report about mistreatment April 29 and immediately stopped production, he said. Managers then "communicated the severity of these allegations to our employees, making it clear to them that any such behavior would result in immediate termination," he said.

Officials of Louisville-based Yum! Brands Inc., which owns the fast-food chain, saw the video Monday. Kentucky Fried Chicken "will require that the employee or employees responsible will be terminated," KFC spokeswoman Bonnie Warschauer told The New York Times.

Further violations at the plant will "result in termination of our relationship," Warschauer said.

There was no immediate response Tuesday to calls from The Associated Press seeking additional comment from KFC.

In a July 22 letter to the plant, copied to Yum! Brands and forwarded to The Associated Press, PETA says its investigator also obtained eyewitness testimony about employees "ripping birds' beaks off, spray painting their faces, twisting their heads off, spitting tobacco into their mouths and eyes, and breaking them in half -- all while the birds are still alive."

An investigator for an animal rights group captured video showing chickens being kicked, stomped and thrown against a wall by workers at a supplier for Kentucky Fried Chicken, which has been under pressure since last year over the treatment of animals.
...
In a July 22 letter to the plant, copied to Yum! Brands and forwarded to The Associated Press, PETA says its investigator also obtained eyewitness testimony about employees "ripping birds' beaks off, spray painting their faces, twisting their heads off, spitting tobacco into their mouths and eyes, and breaking them in half -- all while the birds are still alive."

[ "Pilgrims Pride" indeed. PETA does it's job... shit like this makes me not want to eat meat, not because they're convincing me that it's morally wrong, but because there's so much room for inhumane treatment along the way. One wonders what kind of person enjoys these kinds of activities, and what horrors they might inflict if captive chickens can no longer be the object of their violence. Will they turn to wives? Children? Puppies? Or are they otherwise ok, but just can't resist torturing livestock while at work?