Frankenchickens. Bred to Suffer.

COMPANIES PROMISED TO STOP SOURCING BIRDS BRED TO SUFFER

THE FRANKENCHICKENS REPORT EXPOSES THOSE FAILING TO FOLLOW THROUGH

DEMAND THAT COMPANIES STOP SOURCING FRANKENCHICKENS.

Frankenchickens are chickens who have been selectively bred by the meat industry to grow unnaturally large and abnormally fast to produce as much meat as possible in the least time. Besides monstrous growth, the results are immense animal suffering and often visibly diseased chicken meat.

Despite pledging to stop sourcing Frankenchickens by 2024, some companies—including Whole Foods, Chipotle, Caesars Entertainment, Burgerville, Panera, Subway, and Starbucks—seem more committed to selling meat from birds bred to suffer than to fulfilling their pledges. Demand that companies publish plans for banning Frankenchickens from their supply chains.

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View the Frankenchickens Report

THE TRUTH FROM HATCHING TO SLAUGHTER

UNNATURAL GROWTH, UNBEARABLE SUFFERING

The chicken industry intentionally breeds these birds to grow so unnaturally fast that, on average, they now reach 6.54 pounds in 47 days—six times faster than they did in 1925. Frankenchickens’ immature bones struggle to support them, so the birds often collapse.

APPALLING ENVIRONMENTS, HORRIFIC LIVES

Frankenchickens often suffer lameness, heart disease, and organ failure. They spend their short lives in overcrowded barns lying on waste-soaked litter, making them vulnerable to Salmonella and other intestinal infections.

SHACKLED, SHOCKED, SLASHED, SCALDED

Frankenchickens typically die by brutal live-shackle slaughter. The terrified young birds are shackled upside down, painfully shocked, and slashed at the throat before they are submerged in scalding water—many while still conscious.

MONSTROUS GROWTH, DISEASED MEAT

Meat products from Frankenchickens often bear visible scars from the appalling cruelty these animals endure from hatching to slaughter. The birds’ circulatory systems can’t keep up with the abnormal weight gain, causing the birds to suffer a high rate of muscle disease. One disorder, white striping, occurs when muscle fibers starved of oxygen die and are replaced with fat. Visible to the naked eye as white lines of fat across the breast, white striping raises the fat content and lowers the protein content.

IT GETS WORSE: SPAGHETTI MEAT, WOODY BREAST, GREEN MUSCLE DISEASE

Other muscle abnormalities are also common in Frankenchickens:

Spaghetti meat: mushy, soft, and stringy meat created when weak muscles unravel
Green muscle disease: strangulated, dead muscle that turns meat green
Woody breast: hard, rubbery meat associated with walking impairment in the bird and the inability to stand up after falling

There is nothing natural about breeding animals to suffer and produce diseased meat.*

*The muscle diseases and their impacts on meat discussed here are associated with the practices of (not necessarily the products of) the companies featured on this website.

THE FRANKENCHICKENS REPORT EXPOSES COMPANIES SUPPORTING CHICKEN CRUELTY

View the Report

PROMISES MADE. TIME TO DELIVER.

Companies across the food industry promised to implement Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) standards years ago, which include improving conditions for chickens, ending live-shackle slaughter, and replacing Frankenchickens with higher-welfare breeds.

THESE CHAINS CONTINUE TO SELL FRANKENCHICKENS

While these companies pledged to eliminate Frankenchickens by 2024, the Frankenchickens Report shows that they have failed to publish plans for keeping their promises.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

This retailer has shared progress and a plan for fulfilling most BCC standards, but the company’s roadmap does not include a clear timeline for fully eliminating Frankenchickens.

Panera

Panera has reported progress toward some BCC standards but none on eliminating Frankenchickens. The company has yet to share a clear plan with annual goals for fulfilling their chicken welfare policy.

CHIPOTLE

Chipotle is reporting unclear progress toward some BCC components and has made no progress on eliminating Frankenchickens. The company refuses to publish a timeline for meeting all BCC standards.

Burgerville

Burgerville removed their BCC policy from public materials, and the company has not shared any progress or plans for ending their sourcing of Frankenchickens or meeting other BCC standards.

STARBUCKS

Starbucks has failed to publish a roadmap for eliminating Frankenchickens or meeting any other BCC standards. In their latest impact report, the company even weakened their chicken welfare policy.

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT

Caesars Entertainment has not only failed to publish progress and a plan for fulfilling their promise to meet BCC standards but weakened their policy by removing its deadline.

SUBWAY

Subway has withdrawn their public BCC policy, weakened their chicken welfare language, and never published progress or plans for eliminating Frankenchickens or meeting any other BCC standards.

DEMAND THAT THESE COMPANIES PUBLISH CLEAR PLANS FOR MEETING ALL THEIR CHICKEN WELFARE PROMISES.

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AMERICANS WANT COMPANIES TO DO BETTER

OF AMERICANS SURVEYED, 75%

believe standard chicken industry practices are unacceptable.

OVER 80% OF AMERICANS SURVEYED

agree that companies should be transparent about the conditions for chickens in their operations and provide regular updates on their progress in meeting BCC standards.