Mercy For Animals has recently unveiled a harrowing glimpse into the catastrophic toll of bird flu through newly released drone footage. This footage, which captures the grim reality of hundreds of thousands of birds being killed due to the disease, provides an unprecedented look into the animal agriculture industry’s drastic measures in response to avian influenza.
The disturbing scenes show dump trucks unloading vast quantities of birds into enormous piles, their feathers scattering as their lifeless bodies accumulate on the ground. Workers are seen methodically burying the birds in long rows, a stark testament to the sheer scale of the culling operation. This particular factory farm, housing an estimated 4.2 million chickens, saw the complete eradication of its entire population.
Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a highly contagious disease that spreads rapidly among birds, particularly in the overcrowded conditions of factory farms. The H5N1 virus, notorious for its virulence, has not only decimated poultry populations but has also crossed species barriers, infecting a range of animals including raccoons, grizzly bears, dolphins, dairy cows, and even humans. The World Health Organization has recently documented these cross-species transmissions, highlighting the broader implications of the outbreak.
Mercy For Animals just released disturbing drone footage revealing hundreds of thousands of birds killed because of bird flu. The footage offers a never-before-seen glimpse into the animal agriculture industry’s devastating response to the disease.
In the footage, you can see dump trucks pouring hundreds or thousands of birds at once into massive piles. Their feathers can be seen flying everywhere as their bodies collect on the ground. Workers appear to bury them in rows.
The sheer number of birds is overwhelming. This factory farm is estimated to contain 4.2 million chickens—and every one of them was killed.
Bird Flu
Bird flu—also known as avian flu—is an illness that spreads easily among birds. The H5N1 virus is particularly contagious and has run rampant in factory farms, where chickens, turkeys, and other birds are forced to live practically on top of one another. It has also made the leap to other species, including racoons, grizzly bears, dolphins, cows used for dairy, and humans. Just recently, the World Health Organization recorded the first human death resulting from a strain of avian flu.
Depopulation
In efforts to stop the spread of avian flu where the virus is detected, farmers kill flocks all at once, something the industry refers to as “depopulation.” These mass on-farm killings are extremely cruel, despite being legal and paid for by taxpayer dollars.
They use cheap methods. In fact, the USDA recommends methods such as ventilation shutdown—closing off a facility’s ventilation system until the animals inside die from heatstroke. Other methods include drowning birds with firefighting foam and piping carbon dioxide into sealed barns to cut off their oxygen supply.
Take Action
This is a predictable consequence of the factory-farming system. Keeping thousands of animals crammed inside buildings for their entire lives is a recipe for spreading dangerous diseases.
Mercy For Animals is calling on Congress to pass the Industrial Agriculture Accountability Act, legislation requiring corporations to take responsibility for the pandemic risks they cause. Join us by taking action today!
Notice: This content was initially published on MercyForAnimals.org and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Humane Foundation.
