McCruelty (Typed. Podcast up later.)

PETA-People for The Ethical Treatment of Animal- is taking a stand against McDonalds and their harsh acts upon animals. McDonalds, a fast food restaurant with more than 31,000 locations worldwide, is one of the highest sellers of chicken meat. The PETA organization, McCruelty, is spreading the word about the cruel and disgusting slaughtering of these animals.


The houses that hold these chickens are stuffed full of the animals in crates called “battery cages.” These cages are 19 inches wide, 20 inches deep, and 14 inches high, with about 8 hens per cage, but there have been as many as 12 chickens per cage. These American cages dwarf the new Europe cages, which gives the chickens space to move- about the size of a piece of paper. Although these cages are still incredibly too small, it is a step for improvement. The size of the cages makes it impossible for the animals to move around, stand up, or even stretch their wings.

The horror doesn’t end in the battery cages. After hens are worn and cannot produce anymore, they join the roosters for a trip to the slaughterhouse. On the trip to the slaughterhouse, hundreds of chickens die each year. During the ride, they might get the first-and only- glimpse of sunlight they will ever see. They also can be severely injured, and suffer for the remainder of their lives. The view of a slaughterhouse is not easy to take in. The walls are covered with feces, feathers, and blood. Every worker has on an apron which, by the end of the day, will be covered in blood.

The chickens are loaded off of the trucks and get hung upside down by their feet in metal shackles. This generally causes hemorrging, broken bones, and extreme bruising. Once enough of the chickens are hanging in the shackles, a blade comes across and slices their necks, causing the animals to slowly bleed to death. This is done without any kind of pain-relief while the birds are still fully conscious.

When interviewed, Ren Connelly-a sophomore at Nashua High School South- commented “I don’t know if I would want to eat meat that's possibly been 'contaminated' by painkillers.” What this student doesn’t know is that the animals are given growth hormones that contaminate the meat as soon as they are born. In between killings, there is not enough time to properly clean the space, leaving fecal matter everywhere- even in the air. What does this mean? There is a high possibility of a nice piece of chicken poo in your nuggets.

The workers sometimes torture the chickens before they are put into shackles. Many stories have surfaced about workers who have stuck the animals into the shackles by the head, wing, or other various parts of the body. One story told by an ex-employee states that many workers had stuck several chickens’ heads into other animal’s butts.

After having their necks sliced, they are unshackled and thrown into scalding hot water to remove feathers and other debree off of the bodies. Many of the animals are still alive when they are thrown into the water, and able to feel the pain.

In a letter to PETA, actress Ana Ortiz states that “McDonald's has no regard for animals or for the people who are paid an unfair wage to kill them."

McDonalds chicken nuggets, or ‘McNuggets’, are full of some very surprising ingredients. A total of 38 ingredients go into making this unhealthy food. Families often go to McDonalds hoping to have a ‘healthy meal’ for their kids, believing that they are made out of only chicken. This is unfortunately false. One of the most surprising ingredients is TBHQ, derived from petroleum. Once the nuggets are in boxes, this is sprayed onto the nuggets to “preserve freshness.” According to A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane, or lighter fluid. The FDA allows no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in the nuggets. This chemical can cause nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse. In taking 5 grams of TBHQ can be fatal.

As a country we are obese and need as much help as we can get to become healthier. More information can be found at mccruelty.com, formerfatguy.com, PETA.org, eatinghealthynutrition.blogspot.com, animalbehavior.org.