McDonald's terminated business with chicken supplier T&S Farm, Dukedom, Tenn., after a video surfaced showing employees clubbing and stomping sickly birds to death, USA Today reported.
Mercy for Animals claims to have secretly made the film at the farm, which is a contractor to Tyson Foods, the main supplier of chicken to McDonald's. A spokesperson for Tyson said the company would investigate but, based on what's apparent in the video, would terminate its contract with the farmer.
USA Today reporters who saw the video said it also showed farm employees standing on birds' heads and pulling their bodies to break their necks and hitting them with a pole with a spike attached.
McDonald's called the activity unacceptable.
An attorney for the animal rights group said the video was made by one of the group's investigators, who worked at the form for about four weeks, and in that time witnessed more than 100 instances of animal abuse.
