Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry
A sick and injured chicken trapped on their back, unable to reach food and water, at a Petaluma Poultry factory farm in Sonoma County.
Petaluma Poultry, which uses smiling cartoon images of chickens in their advertising and sells under the brand names “Rocky the Free Range Chicken” and “Rosie the Original Organic Chicken," is actually a subsidiary of the poultry giant Perdue. The corporation operates over half a dozen factory farms around Northern California and supplies to major grocery chains, including Costco, Safeway, and Trader Joe’s. Several of their farms confine over 200,000 chickens at any one time.
Investigations in Petaluma Poultry’s farms and their slaughterhouse on Lakeville Highway have revealed
Tens of thousands of chickens left in barren, windowless sheds without access to the outdoors
Sick and injured chickens stuck on their backs unable to walk to food and water
Dead chickens left to rot among the living
Chickens with necrotic wounds so deep that muscle and bone were exposed
The presence of highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can transfer to humans
Over 60% of chicken carcasses testing positive for campylobacter, a dangerous pathogen that can cause serious illness and death in humans
Chickens boiled alive before being slaughtered
Sonoma County’s own Animal Services Department referred a Petaluma Poultry farm operator as a suspect for criminal animal cruelty. Celebrity chef and Petaluma Poultry ambassador Tyler Florence cut ties with the company stating “his ongoing commitment to exploring partnerships that align with his values.” Multiple grocery stores have ceased selling Petaluma Poultry products.
Yet Petaluma Poultry continues to abuse animals and threaten public health.