In 2016, Perdue, the fourth-largest chicken producer in the US, announced several improvements for its flocks, including beginning to provide natural lighting and reduce stocking densities. Perdue also planned to begin implementing controlled-atmosphere killing, a widely used slaughter method in the UK in which oxygen is removed from birds’ transport crates to put them to sleep and spare them the pain of traditional slaughter.

In its second annual progress report in July 2017, Perdue further committed to exploring how to address issues related to rapid growth of birds on the heels of welfare pledges from dozens of corporate poultry buyers. However, the announcement stopped short of fully committing the company to actually address the genetic manipulation of birds for unnaturally fast growth.

Market research firm Packaged Facts recently reported that over half of US consumers have become more concerned about the treatment of farmed animals over the last several years, yet none of the major US poultry producers have pledged to eliminate a massive source of suffering in birds: fast growth that leads to heart and lung stress, crippling leg deformities, and even death.

Join the tens of thousands of voices demanding change: Urge #1 producer Tyson to eliminate genetic manipulation for rapid growth in its supply chain–and to become a true industry leader by transitioning toward cruelty-free plant protein!