Grim snaps of Butterball turkeys after bird sex abuse claim resurfaced

by · Mail Online

A California woman was disgusted to find the Butterball turkey she purchased for Thanksgiving was completely spoiled after she learned about claims that birds were sexually abused on a farm in resurfaced footage.

Tami Burke posted horrifying images on Facebook of a Butterball turkey she bought from a Menifee grocery store. The images showed a gone-bad and discolored bird.

'Check your Turkey early. I have been cooking turkeys for many years and have never seen this before,' Burke warned in her unsettling post. 'Mine was rotten or mistreated and bruised badly.'

'If animal cruelty is a problem then I have no problem reaching out to the animal activists as well to look into this. Vegetarianism sounds really good about now,' she asserted.

Burke disappointedly returned the turkey to the store in what she said was a great 'inconvenience' just days before the turkey-centered holiday.

She also claimed she notified Butterball about her horrific discovery. 

'I really could not trust another turkey,' Burke added, stating she opted for a tri-tip beef roast instead of the poultry product this year.

The off-putting post comes as the country's largest turkey supplier has been heavily scrutinized after a 2006 PETA video depicting violence and sexual assault against turkeys in an Ozark, Arkansas Butterball slaughterhouse. 

Tami Burke shared pictures of a rotten Butterball turkey amid rampant calls for boycott against the massive turkey supplier
After gut-wrenching footage (pictured) recorded by PETA two decades ago showed brutal abuse and torture of turkeys, angered fans have been trolling the food giant social media pages 

An undisclosed investigator revealed the alleged atrocities he witnessed as workers 'shackled and slaughtered' more than 50,000 turkeys each day, according to PETA. 

In the shockingly graphic video, the investigator claimed he saw a Butterball employee shoving his finger up a turkey's cloaca, or vagina, for 'fun.'

Another worker allegedly 'humped' a turkey while it was restrained.

The investigator recalled another haunting instance when a 'worker was taunting another worker by holding a bird by the legs and jerking her back and forth.

'The second guy just grabbed the bird and punched her.'

Footage showed workers aggressively handling multiple turkeys - throwing, striking and hanging them to death.

'Nothing humane has ever happened in a slaughterhouse,' Amber Canavan, the Vegan Campaign Project Manager for PETA, told DailyMail.com.

As written in the investigator's witness log: 'One worker took a live bird and stomped on her head, crushing her skull until her head exploded. He then laughed and wiped the blood from his leg. He also threw birds against the concrete and punched others.' 

Burke pointed to resurfaced allegations of abuse against Butterball turkeys in her Facebook post
One user even said they 'threw away my Butterball turkey and will never be buying from you again,' as calls for a boycott continue to rise just days before Thanksgiving 

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Butterball addresses turkey sex abuse controversy

Over his 40-day tenure at the gruesome facility, the witness said workers would slam birds into metal bars and violently break their backs and legs.

The investigator reflected upon birds' eyeballs popping out, exposed spines and ripped off limbs in the chilling video.

'The workers at this plant were clearly not trained in animal welfare - some workers even bragged about their abuse,' he asserted.

Just days before Thanksgiving, the unflattering footage has caused social media users to wince in disgust  with many calling for a boycott.

Over the last few days since the video re-emerged, social media platforms have been flooded with adverse responses, with people declaring they will not be buying from Butterball this year.

Others claimed they had returned the Butterball turkeys they had already bought.

This month alone, Butterball has sold about 15million turkeys across the country, Fleet Owner reported.

Since then, people have been quick to call the company a 'literal disgrace' and wished 'shame' on it

One Facebook user reacted: 'A truly foul case of sexual abuse. Boycott Butterball!'

'Boycott Butterball,' another echoed the sentiment. 'This is vial, this is sadistic, this is disgusting.'

Other posts reiterated the idea that the 'nasty' video has deterred many from buying from the well-known brand. 

The gut-wrenching resurfaced clip is just one of many alarming videos PETA has shared online leading up to Thanksgiving, urging people to reconsider the food on their plate this year. 

'It's never too late to go out there and grab that vegan roast,' Canavan said. 'Spare that turkey from the horrors of the slaughterhouse.' 

In an email to DailyMail.com, a Butterball spokesperson defended the company.

The statement reads: 'We are aware of a video from nearly 20 years ago, which is being re-shared across social media. This video is not current and in no way reflects our animal welfare policies.

'Animal care and well-being is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to the ethical and responsible care of our flocks. That means maintaining the health and well-being of our turkeys is an ongoing effort.'

The 2006 video has resurfaced just days before Thanksgiving, with many people expressing disgust and outrage. Some claimed they are returning their Butterball turkeys 

The spokesperson added that Butterball has yearly audits conducted by a third party to make sure facilities are complying with the '200+ science-based standards of best practice for care of turkeys.'

She added: 'Butterball was the first and remains the only turkey company that is American Humane certified. We are proud to be 1 of every 3 turkeys on the table this Thanksgiving.'

Butterball has not responded to DailyMail.com regarding Burke's Facebook post.