Animal welfare group releases undercover video from turkey farms

Conveniently timed a little more than a week before Thanksgiving, an animal welfare group has released an undercover video showing alleged animal abuse at several Butterball turkey factory farms.

The animal welfare group Mercy For Animals (MFA) claims to have a new undercover video from Butterball farms showing workers kicking and stepping on turkeys. MFA says the video shows birds with untreated illnesses and injuries were left to die. This isn't the first time the animal welfare group investigated Butterball, MFA found similar abuse in a previous investigation.

The first video shot at a North Carolina Butterball factory farm led to a law enforcement raid in 2011. One of Butterball's employees pled guilty to felonious cruelty to animals, a class H felony.

MFA says it investigated Butterball last year but it appears the group waited until a week before Thanksgiving to maximize exposure.

The group's release says Butterball sells 30 percent of the turkeys ending up on Thanksgiving tables across the country.

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