Whistleblower: Chickens Bulldozed, Beaten, Buried Alive at Tyson Foods Supplier; PETA Calls for Criminal Probe
For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2026
Contact:
Andrew Grant 202-483-7382
PETA has just received photos and videos from a contract chicken farmer outside Emmet who reports that a Tyson Foods subcontractor bulldozed six sheds on his property, each of which contained thousands of chickens, with live birds still inside. In response, PETA today sent a letter to Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton urging him to investigate and file cruelty-to-animals charges against anyone responsible for causing undue suffering in violation of law. Photos and videos are available here.
The farmer reportedly contacted Tyson after the roofs on the sheds collapsed in last week’s ice storm and reports that Tyson sent subcontractors to the farm who demolished the sheds—crushing many birds to death and leaving others to die under the debris—and stating that some chickens who managed to escape were run over by a bulldozer, while others were allegedly beaten to death.
“Crushing thousands of terrified young birds to death and leaving many more to suffer and die from their injuries is horrifically cruel—and it’s illegal, so if this is what occurred, charges are warranted,” says PETA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on Hempstead County authorities to investigate and urges everyone to please prevent animals from suffering and dying miserably by going vegan.”
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 and free Vegan Starter Kits for anyone thinking of making the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
