Butterball turkey farm raided after abuse claims
The raid Thursday came after the nonprofit Mercy For Animals provided law enforcement with secretly recorded video footage that showed live turkeys being kicked, thrown, dragged by the neck and wings, and hit with some sort of stick or bar.
The video was collected during several weeks in November and December by an activist who got a job at the company’s turkey semen collection facility in Shannon, N.C., said Nathan Runkle, the organization’s executive director.
Butterball, headquartered in Garner, N.C., is the largest producer of turkey products in the United States, according to the company’s website. The company says it accounts for 20 percent of the country’s total turkey production.
