(SHANNON) -- Hidden-camera video secretly shot at a North Carolina Butterball factory farm by an undercover investigator with the animal protection organization Mercy For Animals (MFA) has led to a criminal animal cruelty investigation by state authorities.

Following graphic undercover footage obtained by MFA – showing workers throwing, kicking, dragging, and beating turkeys, as well as birds suffering from bloody open wounds and infections – the Hoke County Sheriff's Department raided a Butterball factory farm facility in Shannon, North Carolina, early this morning.

among many allegations of cruelty, undercover footage recorded at Butterball reveals: workers violently kicking and stomping on birds, dragging them by their fragile wings and necks, and maliciously throwing turkeys onto the ground or into transport trucks in full view of company management.

After viewing the undercover video, veterinarian Dr. Debra Teachout said, "A culture of blatant and severe animal mistreatment has been allowed to flourish unchecked [at Butterball], and for that reason, this facility should be shut down immediately."

MFA will reveal details of the investigation Friday morning at news conferences in Charlotte and Raleigh, NC.

To view the undercover video, visit ButterballAbuse.com