‘Hell on Wheels’: Amid Bird Flu Outbreaks, PETA’s ‘Chicken Truck’ Is Exposing Who Pays the Highest Price for the Egg Shortage

As bird flu outbreaks sweep through filthy farms and an egg shortage sends prices soaring, PETA’s “Hell on Wheels” chicken truck is hitting the road to expose the real cost of that carton of eggs and chicken sandwich. This mobile billboard of truth is cruising across the country with a gut-wrenching message: Chickens are social, sensitive animals who suffer immensely in the meat and egg industries. With the stench of crisis in the air, PETA’s rolling protest isn’t just hard to miss—it’s impossible to ignore.

The ”Hell on Wheels” chicken truck will be making appearances near various food festivals, Chick-fil-A locations, egg restaurants, and busy downtown areas to remind everyone that chickens are not ours to use for food.

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See ‘Hell on Wheels’ On Tour Near You!

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The large truck is plastered with shocking images of chickens bound for slaughter, and it blares the sounds of chickens in distress as well as a subliminal message telling people to “go vegan.” This interactive, mobile installation is a protest on wheels, a call for people everywhere to give a cluck about chickens, arguably the most abused animals on the planet.

One child who stopped to look at the truck said that it was “really sad” and that the chickens “look enslaved, like they’re being mistreated.”

The “Hell on Wheels” chicken truck in Norfolk, Virginia.

At one point, the truck was stolen and gutted. But PETA remained unruffled. We raced to recover and repair it so we could continue driving home its message of compassion for millions of gentle birds.

Where Is the ‘Hell on Wheels’ Truck Heading Next?

PETA’s Groundbreaking ‘Hell on Wheels’ Chicken Truck Serves Up Serious Food for Thought

Chickens are gentle, curious individuals with unique personalities and complex relationships. They talk to their chicks while they’re still inside the shell and have unique calls to warn others of danger coming from the land or air. They comprehend cause-and-effect relationships and understand that objects still exist even after they’ve been hidden from view. They can experience love, joy, sadness, and pain. But from the moment they hatch, billions of chickens raised for food each year suffer enormously—all just for a fleeting taste of flesh.

Workers slam chickens into small crates and truck them to slaughterhouses through all weather extremes. Hundreds of millions sustain broken wings and legs from rough handling, and millions die from the stress of the journey. At slaughterhouses, workers force their legs into shackles before their throats are cut. Almost all chickens are still conscious when their throats are cut, and many are literally scalded to death in feather-removal tanks after missing the throat cutter.

The truck is packed with free leaflets that are full of information about going vegan: the single best thing you can do for chickens, other animals, and the environment. The truck also sports a QR code that people can scan with their phone to learn more.

Chickens Pay the Highest Price for Bird Flu and the “Egg Shortage”

The real “egg crisis” is the suffering of more than 300 million hens on egg farms every year in the U.S. Factory farms confine them to tiny wire cages where they can’t even spread their wings—and at misleadingly labeled “cage-free” facilities, workers cram them into dark, filthy sheds by the thousands.

The bird flu crisis is a harrowing reminder that egg farms are filthy breeding grounds for disease. From birth to slaughter, hens are surrounded by their own waste and breathe ammonia-laden air that burns their lungs and damages their immune systems. These conditions allow viruses like bird flu to spread like wildfire.

Consumers aren’t footing the cost for this catastrophe—chickens are. Since January 2025, farmers have killed more than 45 million chickens due to bird flu. Farms often mass slaughter them in horrific ways: Some companies use water-based foam to slowly smother the birds to death, a terrifying process that can take up to 14 minutes. Egg farms frequently gas the birds, and others resort to “ventilation shutdown” (VSD), a cruel method that cuts off airflow and raises the temperature to as high as 120 degrees—essentially baking the birds alive.

Many companies market flesh or eggs with bogus “certified humane” labels, but these deceptive labels mean nothing to the birds who suffer on farms and at slaughterhouses. The only truly humane option is to go vegan.

Protecting Chickens and Eating Delicious Food Go Hand-in-Hand

Birds’ eggs and flesh belongs to them. Plus, there are plenty of delicious, vegan chicken and egg products that you can enjoy in sandwiches, breakfast scrambles, baking, and more. Going vegan is a win, win, win: You can spare nearly 200 animals every year, reduce your carbon footprint, and boost your own health. If you haven’t made the compassionate switch yet, don’t wait another second—order PETA’s free vegan starter kit now.

Browse Hundreds of Free Vegan Chicken Recipes

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