Petaluma Duck Farm Investigated for Severe Animal Cruelty
Like chickens and turkeys, factory-farmed ducks are subjected to horrific abuse from the time they hatch until they are violently killed at the slaughterhouse. A new Mercy For Animals investigation at one of the nation’s largest duck factory farms, Reichardt Duck Farm in Petaluma, California, exposes sickening cruelty and criminal neglect of these beautiful birds.
California-based veterinarian and animal welfare expert Dr. Armaiti May reviewed the graphic undercover video footage and provided her expert opinion to law enforcement: “I was very alarmed to witness severe neglect and cruelty inflicted on ducks at this facility. No responsible facility could allow such blatant animal cruelty and neglect. Birds experience pain and suffering in a very similar way to humans and other mammals. Their suffering must be taken seriously. The treatment of the ducks at this facility is completely unacceptable.”
At Reichardt Duck Farm, ducks are forced to spend their entire lives on barren, wire mesh flooring, causing them to develop crippling leg deformities and other serious injuries. Without access to water for swimming or bathing, ducks become stressed and start to exhibit abnormal behaviors, such as head shaking and excessive feather preening. Unable to properly clean themselves, factory-farmed ducks often develop serious infections and diseases.
The employee who took the undercover footage reported ducks with bleeding wounds, no access to food and water, seared or burned off baby ducks bills—and ducks still crying out in pain from having this procedure done. The employee also reported she found “thousands of injured ducks a day, ducks with malformed feet, and others with legs, wings or beaks stuck in the wire mesh and left to starve and slowly die. Some ducks got below the wire mesh, and were trapped on the manure pile without food or water, in severely overcrowded conditions.” She says she pointed out the injured and trapped ducks to the farm managers, but there was no response.
Credits:
Video Produced by: Mercy for Animals
