Tomorrow families and friends will be sitting around their tables celebrating Thanksgiving with a lavish meal filled with lots of carbohydrates and other yummie dishes and treats. The focal point of the meal has been and still is the turkey.
I grew up following in this same tradition. When I was in high school I stopped eating meat altogether. I was the only one in my family to do so. I returned to eating meat at some point but during my journey with animal activism the light bulb went off again and I no longer choose to eat meat of any kind. My mind won’t change after knowing and seeing what happens to animals who are bred for their meat.
Tomorrow, people will eat between 37 million – 42 million turkeys. Over the last year, over 300 million turkeys have been eaten.
Here are the main reasons why I choose not to eat turkey. I hope they will give you pause to rethink your stance on eating turkey.
Turkeys live on factory farms
“Many of today’s farms are actually large industrial facilities, not the green pastures and red barns that most Americans imagine. These consolidated operations are able to produce food in high volume but have little to no regard for the environment, animal welfare, or food safety. In order to maximize profits, factory farms often put the health of consumers and rural communities at risk.” The birds typically live for five months in sheds packed tightly barely able to move. Parts of their toes and beaks are cut off to prevent the birds from killing each other. All done without any form of pain killers or anesthesia.
Investigations by PETA have revealed workers stomping, punching and beating turkeys and in general have shown that abuse is the norm on turkey farms.
Turkeys die painful deaths
There are no federal regulations protecting turkeys during slaughter. Turkeys (and other poultry) do not have to be rendered senseless before they are killed. Many turkeys are slaughtered without being stunned at all. Some are stunned through the use of an electric water bath. Turkeys are hung upside-down with their legs shackled. Their throats are slit on a circular blade before being placed in a scalding tank meant to loosen feathers. If turkeys are not properly stunned, they often miss the blade, resulting in the birds being boiled alive and conscious.
There has to be a better way!
Turkeys are treated poorly and die on their way to the slaughterhouse
Turkeys aren’t given food, water or shelter during the transport to the slaughterhouse. More than 2,000 birds are loaded onto one truck with many being injured during the process of catching them. Some suffer from broken wings, dislocated hips and internal hemorrhaging. During the trip, turkeys are exposed to all kinds of weather. From cold temperatures, rain, high winds, sleet, etc., many suffer from hypothermia.
Turkeys are given drugs to stimulate growth
Turkeys at factory farms grow faster and larger than a turkey found elsewhere. They are given antibiotics which many have found to be controversial. Growing a turkey to an unnatural size can’t be healthy or good for the turkey.
Some say the use of antibiotics causes long-term health issues for people and will spread antibiotic-resistant super germs. The World Health Organization says this is an overblown statement. Time will tell the truth.
(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)
Today a turkey was pardoned by the President in this annual tradition. Let’s pardon all of the turkeys so they don’t have to be dealt the same fate as factory-farmed birds. There are always plenty of other foods to eat on this day of feasting.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues.
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You can see how turkeys are treated in slaughterhouses by looking on YouTube. It’s graphic and not for the squeamish. It’s animal cruelty and not much is done to change what workers do. After seeing them there was no way I could eat meat or poultry again. Everyone should see the videos. I think fewer people would eat meat.
Let’s not forget workers twist their necks to inflict pain but create pleasure for themselves.
Animals are meant to be eaten.
I supposed I should be affected by this but I still eat turkey. It’s good. It’s tasty. It does seem cruel the way they are raised and killed. I don’t think you’ll be able to stop people from eating this bird. It’s a tradition.