Chicken Heads, Blood, and Guts Handed Out on the Streets of Birmingham
Ahead of World Vegan Day, we set up shop in Birmingham’s “Chicken Quarter”– home to Wingstop, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Nando’s, Popeyes, and KFC – and served up a grisly sight: the bloodied heads, organs, feet, and guts of slaughtered “chickens”.
Passersby were shocked to see a “chicken shop worker” cooking up fake bird insides with “blood” from a ketchup bottle. Chicken shop food boxes containing fake chicken heads and feet added to the grisly display.
On the menu? “The Blood and Guts Bucket”, “Super Suffering Box”, and “The Chicken Screams Burger”. Animal defenders were in place to hand out the fowl takeaway boxes to shocked members of the public.
The action was a reminder that every chicken burger and nugget was once a living being who felt pain and fear, valued their life, and didn’t want to be cut open and turned into cooked pieces of flesh.
Chicken Farming Cruelty
More than 1 billion chickens are exploited on farms and killed each year in the UK. The vast majority are raised in huge, cramped factories – with some facilities imprisoning a million other birds in total. Most chickens used for food have been selectively bred to grow unnaturally quickly so they reach “slaughter weight” at just six weeks old. This means that, if you eat chicken flesh, you’re likely eating babies.
Injuries, Agony, and Death
Chickens’ unnatural growth takes a huge toll on their bodies: they often have deformed or broken bones, become immobile, suffer heart attacks, and struggle to reach food and water in the dank, dark, overcrowded sheds they are kept in.
Chicken Slaughter
Chickens are crammed into crates on huge trucks to be driven to the slaughterhouse. They’re then gassed to death or strung upside down to have their throats cut.
All this so that humans can eat their flesh for a cheap meal.
People would lose their lunches if they knew what happened to chickens raised and killed for their flesh. Everyone should leave birds in peace, not pieces, and eat vegan food instead.
Chickens Are Sentient Beings
Chickens form complex social structures, dream when they sleep, and worry about the future, just as humans do. They feel pain, happiness, and fear, and desperately want to live, just like us. If you eat chicken, why not spend some time with one at one of the UK’s ethical animal sanctuaries, and find out just how curious, complex, and fascinating these birds are.
Want to Help Chickens?
Check out PETA’s vegan chicken guide:
Take the PETA’s World Vegan Month Challenge this November:
Order our free vegan starter kit to make the switch to a healthier and kinder lifestyle:
Help Animals in 2026: Renew Your PETA Membership!
Donate Now
