Humane Society Asks Tyson To Investigate Freezing Live Birds
Last updated Thursday, February 9, 2006 10:49 PM CST in Business
By The Morning News
Chickens at Tyson Foods Inc.'s Dardanelle complex should not be left in company-owned freezers to die, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Peter Wood, the Humane Society's deputy manager for cruelty issues, wrote a letter dated Wednesday to John Tyson, chairman and chief executive officer of Springdale-based Tyson Foods.
The letter said a Tyson employee told the Humane Society that growers placed cull birds -- those who are sick or not growing fast enough on farms -- into large, Tyson-owned freezers to die, a process that could take days.
Tyson employees Brad Cunningham and Danny Bewley, who manage growers for the Dardanelle plant and are responsible for the plant's company freezers, "are aware of this cruel and barbaric practice but have taken no action to stop it," Wood's letter continued.
Wood urged Tyson to investigate the allegations, which the company said it will do.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the company has not previously heard claims about birds left to freeze to death.
"Such a practice is not consistent with our position on animal welfare, which calls on contract poultry producers to serve as stewards of the birds they raise for our company," Mickelson said.
Contract chicken producers, who grow birds on farms for Tyson, also have freezers on their farms to store deceased birds for later shipment to a rendering plant, Mickelson said.
Tyson has 54 chicken plants companywide and processes 2.21 billion birds per year, according to Tyson's 2005-06 investor fact book.
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
