Thanksgiving History XThe True Story of the Turkey

A Nathan Russell Production

The Cinderella Character

Turkeys don’t look like Cinderella, but their story is awfully similar

They are noble birds that can be found throughout N.America. They forage for berries, insects, and grasses. They also can fly.

Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the turkey the national bird before the eagle due to its intelligence

Males are called toms or gobblers while females are called hens

Males use their wattles and beautiful feathers to attract mates

Yet, humans have an appetite for turkeys

The Misfortune

There is a dark secret side to Thanksgiving and the holiday season

The misfortune is not that turkeys are delicious but that they are processed and suffer from inhumane treatment during this wonderful time of the year

Such treatment includes mutilation of beaks, toes, animal abuse, and no veterinarian care

Turkeys are often left in dark, crowded ware houses where they walk around in their own excrement

The Evil Industry“Gobble Gobble Awe!!”

Turkeys are bred for profit Turkeys are bred by the industry to grow extremely large

and fat Fed high-calorie diets designed for rapid weight gain Turkeys become so top heavy that their legs can barely

hold them Birds have been so profoundly altered that they also

cannot breed naturally

Industry relies on artificial insemination as the sole means of reproduction.

This is turning the wild turkeys into mutated creatures whose only purpose is to be eaten by you!!!

The Fairy Godmother

However, turkeys are getting a second chance at life. Buy free-range turkeys, but make sure you research

before you buy it. Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey Project is allowing

turkeys to be adopted by loving families and to live on farms where they will not be killed

People are also trying to get the pardoned turkeys to get released to Farm Sanctuary.

Be a fairy godmother and adopt or donate. A one dollar donation will provide the care for turkeys and other farm animals

People are adopting turkeys as pets and giving them a home. Similar to dogs and cats, turkeys are social and compassionate animals.

Happily Ever After

Turkeys and other farm animals such as cows, pigs, and chickens all need our help.

They should still be consumed, but they need to be humanely treated before they are consumed

Gandhi once said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”

So embrace the turkey not as just food, but as a living creature and be the Prince who gives them a “happily ever after.”