Freezerfuls of turkeys show up in your local supermarket come November, many of which are disturbingly large, like they've been chowing down on potato chips and beer in front of the boob tube for the previous 11 months. Well, we all know that the life of a commercially-raised turkey isn't so relaxing---it's actually quite disturbing and tragic. According to an Encyclopedia Britannica Advocacy for Animals article entitled "Consider the Turkey", commercially-raised turkeys are often times
subjected to overcrowding, genetic manipulation (for faster growth), and two disturbing practices called "debeaking" and "detoeing", in which the beaks and claws of turkeys are "clipped" to prevent injuries that overcrowded and overstressed turkeys inflict on one another. Can't have the merchandise damaging the merchandise, can you?
Unfortunately, even "free-range" turkeys often times don't fare much better than turkeys raised in traditional mass-production farms. In fact, there are no legal requirements for how much, if any access to the outdoors a free-range turkey gets. The USDA does not regulate the size of free-range animal flocks, so overcrowding often occurs. According to Farm Sanctuary, a farm-animal rescue and advocacy organization, “Thanksgiving shoppers buying an ‘organic’ or ‘free-range’ turkey have no way of knowing just how natural a life that turkey actually led. Compassionate consumers must remember that even on so-called ‘free-range’ farms, animals are subjected to inhumane treatment, and ultimately their lives are ended prematurely.”
It seems like turkeys, like everything else in America, have become "Supersized" of late. In fact, the average weight of a commercially-raised turkey has increased 20 percent between 1991 and 2000. This is due to genetic manipulation, which causes all manner of health issues for the turkey, from heart disease, hip problems and bowed legs. These turkeys can't even enjoy a roll in the hay because their massive and unnatural body size has caused fertility problems, so farmers "hand milk" males and artificially inseminate the females. Romantic, isn't it?
That's why you should consider eating a "Heritage Turkey", which are the ancestors of the turkeys raised and sold on a mass level in stores today. In an NPR interview, Heritage Foods, USA co-founder Patrick Martins says that these turkeys are genetically pure and their ancestry can be traced back 100 years. These turkeys were identified in the American Poultry Association's turkey Standard of Perfection of 1874 and are prized for their flavor and biological diversity. According to the Heritage Turkey Foundation, "Raising Heritage Breeds is more costly and time consuming than raising White Breasted Toms. While supermarket turkeys grow to an average of 32 pounds over 18 weeks, Heritage birds take anywhere from 24-30 to reach their market weight." That means that farmers allow Heritage Turkeys to grow to their full size naturally, without hormones or steroids, in a natural frame of time. In fact, the Pennsylvania farming magazine Lancaster Farming says that “If a seven pound [human] baby grew at the same rate that today’s turkey grows, when the baby reaches 18 weeks of age, it would weigh 1,500 pounds.” Whoa, baby!
You can purchase a Heritage Turkey from Local Harvest, Mary's Turkeys, or Heritage Foods, USA, though the word is that supplies will be scarce this year, as these farms raise a much smaller number of turkeys, and those that were market-ready have been largely snatched up by eager buyers. Also understand that a typical Heritage Turkey can cost you up to $200, but that accounts for the true cost of raising a turkey for 2 years, or about $5-$8 per pound, as opposed to the unnatural 69 cents per pound for a commercially-mass-produced turkey.
If you don't have any luck, and have been turned off altogether from eating a turkey this year, then PETA recommends carving up a good 'ol Tofurky this Thanksgiving. Yum.
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