Deadly Fire at Feather Crest Farms Prompts PETA Memorial for Chickens

For Immediate Release:
February 2, 2024

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

In honor of the birds who burned to death in a massive fire that broke out at Feather Crest Farms in Kurten on Monday, PETA plans to place a sky-high memorial in the area pointing out who’s responsible for their deaths: everyone who isn’t vegan.

“Each of these chickens was an individual who died in terror and pain, engulfed by smoke and flames,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges everyone to prevent birds from being crammed into flammable warehouses in the first place by taking the easy step of going vegan.”

Hens used for egg production are confined to cramped wire-floored cages, in which they don’t even have enough room to spread their wings. When hens’ bodies wear out and they’re no longer considered profitable, egg producers stuff them into metal boxes and crudely gas them with carbon dioxide, which is distressing and painful—or send them to slaughterhouses, where workers cut their throats, often while they’re still conscious, and scald many to death in defeathering tanks.

Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.