A slaughterhouse investigation by PETA has revealed horrific abuse at a farm which the group says supplies the second biggest pork company in the US.

Pigs are seen with bloody sores, mother pigs so injured they could barely move, and dying piglets left to rot alongside their surviving siblings in the shocking footage.

The group said investigation is filmed at Indiana’s East Fork Farms, which supplies the Kentucky slaughterhouse of Greeley-based JBS USA – the nation’s second-largest pig slaughterer and maker of Swift pork.

Among other issues, the video shows that piglets—whose mothers couldn’t reach them because they were trapped in gestation and farrowing crates—died, and one deformed baby was left to die slowly next to his surviving siblings. 

PETA reported that a worker cut off piglets’ tails without any pain relief and then threw the animals several feet through the air. 

“In addition, the waste system was brimming with feces and urine. Rats, roaches, maggots, and other insects had free run of the dilapidated sheds, which were littered with the decomposing bodies, tails, and heads of dead piglets,” the group said in a statement.

“Mother pigs are practically immobilized in crates barely bigger than their bodies, piglets’ tails are crudely chopped off, and trampled piglets are left to twitch on the floor,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.

 “PETA urges JBS to investigate and take immediate action as warranted—and encourages consumers to help combat this cruelty by going vegan.”

Warning: The below graphic imagery which users may find upsetting

JBS’ Louisville, Kentucky, slaughterhouse markets pig meat branded as Swift Premium Dry Rubbed Pork, All Natural Pork, and Fresh Pork and Swift La Herencia Pork. These brands are sold at Kroger, Costco, and other stores.

PETA has asked the Indiana State Police to investigate the farm and has alerted the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration to worker safety concerns there. Video footage is available here.

A spokesman for JBS told Totally Vegan Buzz: “JBS USA was recently made aware of an undercover video allegedly filmed at a sow farm in Indiana.

“Though we do not directly purchase pigs from this farm, there is a chance that some of these pigs could end up in our supply chain. As such, we have taken immediate action and notified our suppliers that JBS USA will not accept any hogs that originated from the farm in the video until a thorough third-party investigation is completed.

“We take this matter very seriously and do not condone violations of our animal welfare standards anywhere in our supply chain.”

• Read: Why it’s vital to share disturbing slaughterhouse imagery

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Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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