Popeyes recently became the first major fast-food chicken chain to commit to eliminating the worst suffering for chickens across its U.S. and Canadian supply chains. This historic commitment, which will impact tens of millions of chickens every year, came about through conversations with Mercy For Animals.
Popeyes' policy change will end particularly cruel practices for birds, including these:
- Live-shackle slaughter: Birds are shackled upside down on a conveyor, shocked with electricity, slit open by a throat-cutting machine, and sometimes boiled alive
- Genetic selection for extreme growth: Bred to grow so large so fast, birds often suffer crippling leg deformities, organ failure, heart attacks, and other obesity-related ailments
- Filthy, cramped confinement: Birds sit in their own excrement and often cannot stretch their wings or perform other natural behaviors.
Popeyes deserves thanks for a step in the right direction. Let us hope they set a good example for other fast-food chains such as Chick-Fil-A, Church's, McDonald's, KFC, and others.
