Police investigating Foster Farms after group says undercover video shows chicken abuse

Police are investigating poultry producer Foster Farms after an animal-rights group shot undercover video showing some chickens being slammed upside-down into shackles, punched and having their feathers pulled out while still alive.

The video was obtained by The Associated Press in advance of its release Wednesday. It was shot by the Los Angeles-based Mercy for Animals, which advocates against eating meat. The group says the footage was taken between April and June at a Foster Farms slaughterhouse in Fresno and the company's nearby farms.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is investigating the allegations.

Foster Farms spokesman Michael Fineman says the company has launched its own investigation and will fully cooperate with authorities. He says the behavior in the video is inappropriate.