We found Emily lying on her back, with her neck slumped forward and her eyes wide open. But her captors did not name her. Providing her with a name would have granted her an identity, making her suffering harder to justify.
The first days of Emily’s life began alongside all the other frankenchickens, in a huge, noisy and cramped warehouse. Many of the chickens die during this period, but Emily managed to continue on. We imagine she saw her first rays of daylight through a number of small windows in the barn – a barn which had little to it other than a few hay bales.
Emily grows weaker
As time went on, Emily would have kept growing larger, at an unnaturally rapid rate. With each day, her legs would have become weaker and weaker, causing serious joint pain. Again, to continue past this stage would be impressive, as thousands of other frankenchickens would have died due to crippling conditions. As each step became more taxing, simple activities like eating and drinking would have become increasingly difficult. To make this worse, Emily would have had to wade through bird waste, making her journey more arduous. As her exhaustion grew, she would have tried to spend more time seated. Ammonia would burn her as she sat down.
In Emily’s final week, she must have fallen onto her back, unable to sit up. It appears she laid in the same position for days, slowly wasting away, unable to feed. Caught up amongst excrement, she became part of the floor as the other chickens walked over her, evidenced by a stomach wound. She would have been starving and desperate for water. Unable to satisfy these desires, she would have just waited for death.
Emily’s death
Emily’s head was found slumped inwards, a glint of resignation in her open eyes. Emily was not slaughtered. Instead, she was likely culled in the following days by one of the farmers – meaning they would have snapped her neck.
Take action!
Emily’s story does not stand alone. She is just one of the frankenchickens callously mistreated in this barn; one of the many birds harmed in the name of stocking shelves. We call out Morrisons who have refused to sign the Better Chicken Commitment, a measure supported by over forty animal protection charities across Europe. By signing this commitment, Morrisons would be one step closer to honouring their claim to “take animal welfare seriously”.
Help us hold Morrisons accountable and send an email to the leadership or comment on Facebook at https://morrisonsmisery.com/.
Birds like Emily do not deserve their journey to consumer’s plates.