Time to learn about turkeys

_Elsa_

“Here are my wild turkeys,” says Farmer Joe. 

“Hey, I’ve seen those wild turkeys in my neighborhood,” says Elsa. “Just the other day I was searching on Google and I heard ‘gobble, gobble’ outside. I looked up and saw 3 wild turkeys walking across my front lawn.”

‘Wild turkeys are large birds native to North America. They live in a variety of habitats, mostly forests, and spend much of their time foraging for food. Turkeys are omnivores and will eat various seeds, plants, insects and worms. They investigate their surroundings by pecking and scratching, and keep their feathers clean by preening and dustbathing regularly. At night, they fly up to rest in trees for safety from predators.

Domesticated turkeys are believed to descend from the South Mexican turkey and were brought to Europe by the Spanish who had discovered them as a favourite domesticated animal of the Aztecs.

Turkey production - Almost 630 million turkeys are produced for meat each year, globally (FAOSTAT, 2014). Of these, over 240 million are produced in the US and over 240 million in the EU. Modern commercial turkeys have been selectively bred for fast growth and disproportionately large breast muscles. They are slaughtered when they are between 9 and 24 weeks of age and may weigh upwards of 20kg. 

Intensive indoor systems - In the EU, over 90% of turkeys are kept in intensive indoor systems. These turkeys are kept in enclosed sheds in groups of up to 25,000 birds and have no outdoor access. 

Enclosed sheds - Turkey barns are usually barren, with only food and water stations, and litter. The barns are overcrowded and often windowless, with artificially lighting and ventilation. Lighting schedules are strictly controlled to encourage the turkeys to eat more food, reduce their activity and grow fast. They are kept in very low light to reduce feather-pecking, but this can cause eye abnormalities and blindness. 

Pole barns - Smaller producers, especially those who produce turkeys for the Christmas market, often keep turkeys in open barns with natural lighting and ventilation and more space.’ (Source)

‘Turkeys - Turkeys should have access to outdoor ranging and foraging areas from an early age. They should be free to engage in behaviors such as scratching, ground pecking, wing flapping and dust-bathing. Turkeys should be able to forage and seek nutrition from pasture. They should also have clean, well-ventilated housing that is comfortable and provides protection from climatic conditions and predators. Turkeys should be raised in conditions that allow for natural light and dark cycles and must be allowed to molt naturally. They should not undergo debeaking or other forms of physical mutilation such as castration, wattle trimming, desnooding, or detoeing. Turkeys should have access to raised perching areas, nest boxes, dust baths, and continuous access to clean water. The birds should receive antibiotics only for treatment of disease or illness, as prescribed by a veterinarian. ‘ (Source) 

Let’s continue - What is animal sentience? 

Start at the beginning – Tiffi and Elsa take a trip to Dairy District