THL
Factory-farmed turkeys, like broiler chickens, have been bred to grow too large, too fast.
Consuming turkey on Thanksgiving is a decades-long tradition in many households across the US. A closer look at this tradition reveals its reliance on a much darker American institution—factory farms.
In fact, some traditions around Thanksgiving turkey originate from the most recognizable household in the country—The White House. Every year, the President of the United States pardons one turkey from becoming the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving dinner. Yet this "lighthearted" tradition obscures the grim reality of the turkey industry, and the millions of turkeys who are killed each year during their first weeks of life.
Are turkeys factory farmed?
Factory farming involves confining high numbers of farmed animals within the smallest spaces possible in order to maximize profits. Many turkey farms are factory farms. Every aspect of a turkey’s life is entirely controlled by humans, from when they breed, to how fast they grow, to where they live. Factor farming transforms turkeys from curious, independent birds into commodities for human consumption.
How are turkeys farmed?
The life of a factory-farmed turkey is completely different from those of wild turkeys. In the wild, these birds have been found to live in complex social groups complete with unique orders, rituals, and dances. They stick together in flocks with their family and friends as they spend their days foraging, then flying up to sleep in the trees at night. Many people are not aware that turkeys can not only fly at high speeds, but they can also run and even swim—versatility that is comparable to any triathlon athlete.
Life on a factory farm is a stark contrast to freedom for turkeys. Instead of being hatched alongside a handful of brothers and sisters, coming into the world within a comfortable nest built by doting parents, farmed turkeys are born in sterile, indoor hatcheries where thousands of eggs hatch at the same time. The chicks huddle around artificial heaters in place of the warmth that would be provided by the mother’s body.
On factory farms, chicks will never meet their parents; their families are broken apart forever. Chicks are moved to indoor barns where they will remain for 4-6 weeks before being transferred to a finishing barn, where they will live until they're sent for slaughter.
These barns prevent turkeys from enjoying a natural social order or exploring their environment. Their wings will never lift them into the air. They will remain permanently grounded before meeting their untimely end in a slaughterhouse.
How long do turkeys live?
Wild turkeys have been known to live for a decade. However, on factory farms, lifespans are considerably shorter—so much so that birds can still be considered very young despite their adult-sized bodies. While slaughter ages differ depending upon the sex, generally turkeys do not make it past 5 months of age.
What do factory farmed turkeys eat?
In the wild, turkeys are omnivorous, foraging for a diverse variety of plants, insects, and worms. In factory farms, diets are far more constrained. Turkeys are fed processed grain and legumes, such as corn and soy.
Because of the chronic stress arising from the unnatural conditions on factory farms, turkeys are regularly fed antibiotics to stave off the sickness and disease that would otherwise make these conditions unlivable. These types of drugs are also used to promote growth.
Why shouldn't we eat turkey?
Awareness of the negative impacts turkey farming has on local communities, farmworkers (who are predominantly Black and Brown people), and the turkeys themselves has been growing, compelling increasing numbers of people to leave turkey off the dinner table.
Trimmed beaks and toes
In the wild, turkeys do not frequently peck or scratch one another to the point of serious injury. But the crowded, stressful conditions of factory farms can cause these unnatural and aggressive behaviors, resulting in bodily damage, infection, and sometimes death. Because these injuries result in lost profits for farmers, certain medical procedures are performed on turkeys—almost always without painkillers—to prevent injuries to other birds. Beak trimming involves removing the end portions of turkeys' beaks, something that is thought to cause long-term pain in birds. Detoeing removes the sharp talons that can cause damage to feathers and skin. But the amputation of the tip of the three forward-facing toes causes pain, can reduce their growth rate and increase the risk of mortality.
Crowded sheds
In the wild, turkeys live in relatively small flocks, sometimes with only a handful of members. On factory farms, thousands of turkeys can be crowded into cramped indoor barns. It is typical for a single barn to house 10,000 individuals. Crowding prevents birds from properly exercising by running or even walking large distances, or from getting proper rest since they can be stepped on or jostled by their neighbors when trying to sleep.
Rapid growth
Turkeys in factory farms have been selectively bred to grow unnaturally large in very short periods, allowing farmers to reduce their costs (feeding the turkeys) while maximizing the volume of meat that farmers can sell. Today’s factory-farmed turkeys are so heavy that they could never take to the air, even if they were given the opportunity.
Ammonia-laced air
In the wild, turkeys scatter their excrement over broad expanses of land, fertilizing the ground for new plant life. On factory farms, turkeys are forced to live in their excrement, which is high in dangerous toxic gasses like ammonia and nitrous oxide. These toxins pervade the air and cause numerous health problems for turkeys and farmworkers alike, causing eye irritation, lung problems, and a host of other diseases.
Transport injuries
When it comes time to collect full-grown turkeys from the barns to bring them to the slaughterhouse, turkeys face yet more potential for injury. Birds are forced into small containers, resulting in broken wings and other appendages.
How are turkeys slaughtered on factory farms?
Birds who are considered poultry, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, are all excluded from the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which is federal legislation meant to ensure animals die in the most painless ways possible. This is a massive omission, as an estimated 9 billion chickens are killed in the US each year.
With no meaningful or legally-mandated protections, turkeys are at the mercy of slaughterhouses that prioritize speed and efficiency rather than welfare. Like chickens, turkeys are subjected to live-shackle slaughter, where they are hung upside down with their legs clamped into metal shackles, and they are dunked into electrified water meant to stun them. The conveyor belts then drag them over blades that slit their throats before tossing them into a scalding de-feathering bath.
While the process of being shackled upside down is cruel enough, since it can cause broken bones and is a frightening process, many birds either remain conscious after being electrocuted or miss the water altogether, meaning they are still very much alive when their throats are slit. Or, if they also miss the blades, they drown in scalding hot water.
Turkey farming facts and statistics
- Worldwide, around 660 million turkeys were slaughtered in 2018.
- Nearly 240 million turkeys were killed in the US in 2018.
- The average farmed turkey weighed 17 pounds in 1970. Today, thanks to selective breeding, turkeys weigh an average of 28 pounds.
How you can help
Decreasing or eliminating your consumption of turkey is one of the best ways to help reduce the suffering of turkeys on factory farms. The demand for cheap turkey meat is one of the primary drivers of this type of unethical farming.
Sharing this information with your family and friends can also help to reduce the overall demand, leading to a world where one day all the turkeys can be pardoned.
And, you can join us in calling on corporations to end the practice of live-shackle slaughter, once and for all.
