Uncover the True Horror behind Your Turkey at Thanksgiving

Why are turkeys used during Thanksgiving?

Some of the most common dishes found on the dinner table during thanksgiving will be potatoes, pumpkin pie, and stuffing. And of course, the dish that completes the whole tradition - a turkey.

But how did the turkey became the main dish in Thanksgiving?

The turkey is native to North America and is a sign of a nation’s wealth and ability to provide for its citizens. It has since been accepted as the Thanksgiving meal of choice for Americans after Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be a national holiday in 1863.  

The cruelty behind turkey farming

Almost 300 million turkeys are slaughtered for their meat every year in just the United States alone.

The turkey farms, like any other factory farming industry, is unnatural and downright cruel.

The turkeys raised on factory farms have never seen their mothers, neither have they felt the warmth of a nest. Instead, they are hatched in large incubators and huddled around heat lamps to keep warm.

Turkeys are very family oriented animals and turkey hens are devoted mothers who care very much for their babies and will fiercely protect them naturally. Chicks also rely heavily on their mothers to teach them crucial survival skills. New-born turkeys can be seen searching and calling for their mothers.

When they reach only a few weeks of age, they are thrown into large, filthy, windowless sheds with thousands of other turkeys, sometimes with as many as 10,000 packed into a single building, where they will spend the rest of their lives with no outdoor access.

To prevent the turkeys from attacking and killing one another due to stress or frustration in such conditions, parts of their toes and beaks are cut off, and the males’ snoods, which is the flap of skin under their chin, are sliced off. All of this is done without any anaesthetic or pain relievers.

However, many turkeys do not even make it past the first few weeks before they succumb to a stress-induced condition known as “starve-out”, where young birds do not eat and die of starvation.

Turkeys in the factory industry have also been selectively bred, drugged, and genetically manipulated to grow as large as possible in the quickest amount of time to receive maximum profit. In 1960, the average weight of turkeys raised for meat is 17 pounds. Today, they weigh 30 pounds, almost twice the weight compared to decades ago.

Due to their fast growth, it can result in heavy body weight leading to organ failure, heart problems, inflamed joints, and painful leg disorders. In fact, some turkeys have even collapsed beneath them as they are unable to hold their weight.

Male turkeys are bred to develop such large breasts that they cannot mount the females to reproduce naturally. Instead, the females are artificially inseminated to produce eggs.

As the turkeys grow, the sheds get more crowded. Due to the poor ventilation in these unsanitary sheds, the air becomes highly contaminated with ammonia from all the excrement that is built up on the floor.

This comes with a host of unwanted health issues such as swollen, irritated eyes, and respiratory damage which can be fatal. The turkeys will also have to endure blisters on their skin and feet due to prolonged contact with the manure.

Once the turkeys reach the market rate, around 3 months of age, they will be sent for slaughter. They are grabbed by their legs and thrust into crates stacked on top of each other. This is a very traumatic experience for the birds as they face breathing difficulties due to their large size and can also suffer from injuries such as dislocated hips and wing fractures as a result of rough handling.

The transportation to the slaughterhouses may involve traveling long distances. This subjects the turkeys to even more trauma as they are exposed to unfamiliar noises, motion, and extreme temperatures. These stressful conditions, plus the fact that they are deprived of food and water, contribute to the hundreds of thousands of turkeys who die during transport.

When they finally arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are hung upside down and their heads are passed through an electrified water bath which is supposed to stun them before slitting their throats.

However, if the turkeys lift their heads and miss the electrified water, they will be fully conscious when their throats are cut. If any other part of their body touches the water instead of their heads, they will have to suffer painful electric shocks.

No turkey that has to go through such a painful and torture experience should be celebrated.