Butterball. Yum...

[Luminous Animal]

Maggots, too!

In October of 2012, an MFA investigator documented a pattern of shocking abuse and neglect at numerous Butterball turkey operations in North Carolina, including:

* workers kicking and stomping on birds, dragging them by their fragile wings and necks, and maliciously throwing turkeys onto the ground or on top of other birds;
* birds suffering from serious untreated illnesses and injuries, including open sores, infections, and broken bones; and
* workers grabbing birds by their wings or necks and violently slamming them into tiny transport crates with no regard for their welfare.

http://butterballabuse.com/

[Aerows]

1. My uncle worked on a chicken farm

one summer when he was in high school. He never ate chicken again in his entire life. He went out of his way to never eat it. I can only imagine what he saw that caused that reaction.

[quinnox]

2. Not much of a turkey fan but

definitely not a PETA person either. I like to eat meat. Lamb is one of my favorites. I think PETA is wayyyyyy out there in their tactics.

[Luminous Animal]

4. What does this have to do with PETA? It is an undercover film by Mercy For Animals.

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/menu.aspx

And for that matter, what does Butterball abusing animals have to do with PETA?

[quinnox]

7. oh, thought it was a PETA thing

Anyway....

[SidDithers]

3. Yum is right...

Sid

[Luminous Animal]

6. I take that as a yes for animal torture?

I suppose the Romney family should have killed, roasted, and eaten the dog after they got it off the roof.

[SidDithers]

14. It's a yes for crispy, golden, butter-basted skin...

succulent white meat, tender juicy dark meat, all covered with gravy, served with roast vegetables, cranberry cashew dressing and mashed potatoes.

Sid

[Luminous Animal]

16. The OP is about animal abuse. I apologize if the OP was not clear enough for you

to understand that.

[flvegan]

28. Take this as a yes. Regardless. Opened it up as same.

[HappyMe]

8. So delicious!

I'm looking into glazes to achieve that brown, tasty, crispy skin.

[Luminous Animal]

9. A maggot and pus puree should do the trick.

[HappyMe]

11. I'll send you some.

[Luminous Animal]

15. Thank you.

[snooper2]

17. where do I get the pus from? I can easily breed maggots before Gobble day...

will I have a problem with it getting too frothy?


Also what would be better canola or peanut oil for the fryer? Canola is better for you but people say it can leave a fishy overtone to the flavor?




Mmmmm, cold beer while frying a big ass bird

[Luminous Animal]

19. You can scrape the pus off the turkeys at the Butterball factory.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. That bird actually looks overcooked. Frying is the way to go though...

And Butterball is the ONLY turkey I'll cook.

[Luminous Animal]

30. Enjoy your abused animal from birth to death. Each and every moment of their lives

without a moment of freedom or joy. Each and every moment of their lives in abject misery until their only breath of fresh air is when then are kicked and violently thrown into a truck.

Yeah! Eat torture. Teach your children to eat it to.

[Luminous Animal]

26. Are you totally comfortable with eating an animal that has been kicked and thrown around.

It appears that you are celebrating cruelty. I.e., not only are you comfortable with the abuse exhibited in the OP, but you want to figure out how to make that abuse tasty.

Would you be willing to kick the crap out a turkey. Would you kick it until it was dead in front of your children and serve it for dinner.

[snooper2]

36. how do you know the turkey I grab off the shelf was actually abused?

Do we need more regulations and control on what happens at factory farms? Yes..

Are they needed for a modern society? Yes..

Am I going to tell everyone this year not cooking a turkey because of a thread and problems I read about on a website on the Intertubes. No...but there actually is another option. I don't live on a farm anymore but there is a park with a bunch of ducks just down the road...I do have a smoker as well ..


Most folks here would probably prefer I just get the 25 cent a pound Turkey or whatever deal Kroger has the week before.

Anyway, any advice on best oil to use?

[Luminous Animal]

38. All factory farmed animals are abused.

[flamingdem]

5. maggots is

the word of the day!

Not only are they infesting turkeys they're infesting John McCain

[HopeHoops]

10. I'm sorry. I just can't watch. That sort of thing is part of why I went vegehegian.

Not only are factory poultry farms cruel, but it's also one of the most dangerous jobs and often involves low-paid immigrant workers (legal and not). The first stop on the line (after slaughter) is, not kidding, "butthole cutter", and it is the position that leads to the most injuries.

[Luminous Animal]

13. I don't blame you for not watching. And I really cannot comprehend the cruelty behind

the mindset of those who do watch and still enthusiastically promote factory farmed meats.

[HopeHoops]

18. Eggs are bad too. We get our from free-range chickens and damn are they good.

One of my wife's co-workers has a farm and gets so many eggs she was throwing them out. My wife trades her fresh herbs and a buck or two for a dozen HUGE eggs with big deep yellow centers and the taste I remember from when I was a young kid. At least I know the chickens are well cared for and not debeaked and crammed in cages so tightly that they can't turn around. They eat bugs, seeds, and whatever else is outside because that's where they spend most of their time.

The practice is also a royal waste of protein. Chickens are the best. It only takes five times as much protein to get an equivalent amount of meat protein. Cows are the worst - 16:1. Water consumption is an abomination. Even with all of the ethical issues aside, factory farming is a disgrace on multiple levels. And frankly, it wouldn't be competitive with vegetable protein without all of the federal subsidies.

Yes, that was a rant.

[Luminous Animal]

21. It was a good rant. :)

[HopeHoops]

22. Thank you. I try not to be evangelical about the issue, but sometimes I can't help it.

I did get lucky though. All three of my daughters (17, 19, 21) are lifelong vegetarians. I've got old friends who went veggie well before I did but married meatasauruses who started feeding their kids meat (fast food) for convenience. We never did, but we let them try meat if they wanted (as long as they KNEW what they were eating). None of them liked it and the youngest never took a bite.

They can do what they want in that respect now (and since they could identify it), but so far they're all rather strict. Eggs and dairy are the only animal products they'll consume.

[Luminous Animal]

24. I've been a vegetarian to eating fish and/or fowl for decades....

Currently, I am eating fish & fowl. Each about once a month. Even so, over all those decades, I've been good about choosing authentic free range. local and organic.

There is no way in hell I would eat an abused animal or a product from an abused animal.

Congrats to your daughters!

[JNelson6563]

32. Great rant!

And I hear what you're saying on the egg thing. What a difference between eggs from not-factory-farm and factory farm eggs!

Julie

[Brickbat]

12. I firmly believe that improving working conditions can go a long way toward improving conditions for

the animals as well. But it also requires a cultural shift in our attitude toward factory farming. I won't give up my meat, however.

[bunnies]

20. This is why nothing from a factory farm goes into my mouth.

Its just so wrong. Buying from these companies is a vote for animal torture. Sadly, the majority of Americans just dont give a shit. Leave a dog in a hot car and police get called... beat the shit out of a chicken or cow "whatever".

[AsahinaKimi]

23. I guess I will do what I traditionally do every year..

Peking duck!

[LadyHawkAZ]

27. We also do duck

I don't care for turkey.

[flvegan]

29. I look around here at the responses, and remember.

This used to be a progressive website, not one closed off to idiots.

[dem4ward]

31. It's so disgusting that all of our food

whether animal, fruit or vegetable is being abused or manipulated. Dairy milkers beating cows, egg laying hens living in squalor, ducks being forced fed by metal rods, chickens being plumped and given growth hormones. And we wonder why we are getting cancer, tumors, and other aliments. It's the shit food we're eating, thinking we're eating healthy. I'm going to make a conscientious effort to be more aware of where my food comes from. Please join me and do the same.

[PotatoChip]

33. I've noticed a huge difference in just the last decade

or so, w/both (store-bought) chicken and turkey.

I don't know if it's selective (inter)breeding, hormones, lack of movement, or what, but have found that it is far more fatty/greasy. And- while smaller in size, seems to have an oddly disproportionate amount of meat.

I've been buying only free range poultry from a neighbor for over 3 years now. Huge difference!

As an aside, I couldn't watch your video.

[LostinRed]

34. I'm a member of PETA but I eat meat

I justify it by eating organic free range. I try to buy local when I can. I don't agree with factory farms, however, I don't think eating animal protein is evil

[eridani]

35. My thoughts too

My local organic suppliers of grass-fed beef also have chickens and turkeys--go for heritage breeds if you can get one. Usually you have to order way in advance, but it's worth it. We get regular emails from the local farmers participating, and all are proud of natural environments and humane slaughter.

If you are going to eat animals, I think it's a moral obligation to allow them to have decent lives first.

[Robb]

37. Anthropomorphism is such a first-world conceit.

I'm certainly as guilty of it as the next person.