Butterball is again facing allegations of abuse that led some Americans to boycott the major turkey maker just days before Thanksgiving.

As millions of people across the United States prepare their turkey-filled Thanksgiving meals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has drawn attention to its undercover investigation of the Butterball manufacturing plant in Ozark, Arkansas, between April and July 2006.

On Nov. 5, the nonprofit released an interview clip with an unidentified investigator who claimed he witnessed harrowing cases of sexual assault on live turkeys at the Butterball plant.

In the graphic video, the undercover agent accused a Butterball employee of sticking his finger into a turkey’s cloaca, or vagina. Another worker was said to have “bumped” a turkey while it was tied up.

The clip then cut to footage of the Butterball plant, where, according to PETA, “approximately 50,000 birds are slaughtered every day.”

Undercover footage also showed a worker sitting on a turkey, while another clip showed an employee kicking the bird. “I knocked the bastard out,” they said.

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In the investigator’s witness report, he claimed to have seen Butterball employees “cruelly beating live birds into shackles” while another worker “strangled a bird to death.”

“One worker said he liked to kill birds for ‘fun’ and pointed to one he had hit in the face,” he wrote in the witness report, while another note read: “One worker violently threw birds into the shackles and grabbed one by its neck, and another worker hobbled a bird whose legs and head he had crammed into the shackle.”

The resurfaced footage has since led many people on social media to declare that they will no longer be purchasing a Butterball turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner.

“This absolutely breaks my heart,” one TikTok user commented under a reposted clip of the PETA investigation.

“I bought a Butterball turkey today and will definitely be returning it in the morning,” another person wrote.

Meanwhile, a woman posted a TikTok video in which she returned the Butterball turkey she bought “following SA (sexual assault) allegations.”

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In conversation with the Daily MailAmber Canavan — PETA’s vegan campaigns project manager — explained that the online reaction from people boycotting Butterball is “exactly what every animal rights activist wants to see right before Thanksgiving.”

“We’re just seeing dozens and dozens of people this year who have renounced Turkey,” she said. “It’s never too late to go out and get that vegan roast. Spare this turkey the horrors of the slaughterhouse.”

However, Butterball has since rejected PETA’s efforts to initiate a boycott of the manufacturer’s turkey, noting in particular that the undercover investigation took place nearly 20 years ago.

“We are aware of a video from almost 20 years ago that is being re-shared on social media. This video is not current and does not in any way reflect our animal welfare policies,” a Butterball spokesperson said in a statement The Independent.

“Animal care and animal welfare are of central importance to us as a company and we are committed to caring for our herds ethically and responsibly. This means maintaining the health and well-being of our turkeys is an ongoing effort.”

The spokesperson explained that Butterball has annual third-party audits to ensure facilities comply with “over 200 science-based standards of best practice for turkey care.”

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They added, “Butterball was the first and remains the only turkey company certified by American Humane. “We are proud to be one of three turkeys on the table this Thanksgiving.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 46 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving. That’s about 21 percent of the approximately 216.5 million turkeys produced in the United States each year.

According to the 2024 Butterball Togetherness Report, 87 percent of Americans hosting Thanksgiving plan to serve turkey. This means that in 2024, around 293.5 million people will eat turkey on Thanksgiving.

Although turkey takes center stage on many Thanksgiving tables, some Americans have declared the bird their least favorite Thanksgiving dish.

In a survey conducted by Vacationer that asked 1,042 American adults which traditional Thanksgiving dishes they liked and disliked, nearly 35 percent of Americans considered turkey their least favorite dish.

Stuffing or dressing ranked second least with around 32 percent of participants surveyed, followed by ham with almost 32 percent.