The Truth About Turkeys: Sentient, Affectionate, and Under Threat

Introduction:

When we think of turkeys, many of us envision a Thanksgiving centerpiece or a delicious sandwich filler. However, there’s much more to these birds than meets the eye. In this blog, we delve into the truth about domestic turkeys, shedding light on their sentience, affectionate nature, the staggering number killed each year, and what their natural life span should be.

Sentience:

Contrary to popular belief, domestic turkeys are sentient beings. They possess the ability to perceive and experience the world around them. These birds are not just automatons; they have emotions, feel pain, and have the capacity to form bonds with others. Studies have shown that turkeys can express a wide range of emotions, from happiness to fear, and they have complex social structures within their flocks.

Affectionate Nature:

Turkeys may not be the first animals that come to mind when you think of affection, but they are surprisingly social and affectionate creatures. In a natural setting, turkeys are known to groom each other, form close-knit groups, and even show signs of protecting their young. These behaviors highlight their emotional depth and social intelligence.

The Grim Reality:

Each year, a staggering number of domestic turkeys are raised and slaughtered for their meat. In the United States alone, millions of turkeys are killed annually to meet the demand for Thanksgiving and other holiday feasts. This industrial scale of production often involves crowded and stressful conditions for these birds, leaving them with little room to express their natural behaviors.

Natural Life Span:

In their natural habitat, wild turkeys can live up to 10 years or more. However, the lifespan of domestic turkeys is dramatically shorter due to their use in the meat industry. Most domestic turkeys are slaughtered at a mere 5 to 6 months of age, far short of their potential life expectancy.

The Importance of Sanctuaries:
Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary and similar organizations play a crucial role in raising awareness about the plight of domestic turkeys. These sanctuaries provide a safe haven for rescued turkeys, allowing them to live out their natural lives in a more compassionate environment.

Conclusion:

It’s time to recognize domestic turkeys for who they truly are: sentient, affectionate beings with a right to a life free from unnecessary suffering. By supporting organizations like Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary and making informed choices about the food we consume, we can take steps towards a more compassionate world for turkeys and all animals.

Stella Turkey
Zelda Turkey

Please Help Our Lucy Walk Again

Please help our Lucy Walk Again

URGENT

We have very sad news.

Our beloved Lucy, a cherished member of our Sanctuary, was tragically involved in an accident yesterday.

She has been rushed to the hospital and requires an urgent surgery that will cost from $7700, possibly up to $10,000 to repair her pelvis and hip. Our hearts ache for her as she lies there in pain, unable to walk. Lucy holds a special place in our Sanctuary, and each morning, she warmly greets every animal with her contagious wagging tail.

The love and joy she brings to all of us is immeasurable. We cannot bear the thought of Lucy losing her ability to walk.

We implore you to please consider making a donation towards her life-saving surgery. Your generous contribution will go directly towards restoring Lucy’s mobility and giving her a chance to live a normal, pain-free life once again.

You can help make a difference and bring hope to our dear Lucy. Donate now to help us bring her back on her feet.

Please help by donating HERE.

Lucy warmly embraces all of our rescues, and they, in turn, shower her with adoration, just as we do.

Donkeys Rico and Jack and Their Love Story

It wasn’t love at first sight, not even close.

FFAS rescued Rico from an Oklahoma kill pen in May 2020. For the next 18 months his best friends were humans, lots and lots of them! But donkeys are social animals so in November 2021 FFAS decided to rescue another one to be a companion for Rico. 

It wasn’t long before JD (Jack) was on a transport truck, rescued from a kill pen in Texas.  5 days later he arrived in NY.  He was quarantined for 30 days, separated from Rico by a mesh gate.  He was treated a few times by both the vet and farrier, all under Rico’s watchful eye.  They were curious about each other, but Rico’s ears were pinned back more than we had ever seen.

Donkeys Getting to Know Each other

After quarantine we slowly let Jack in the paddock with Rico.  It was scary!  Rico chased Jack around the paddock, biting his back and generally terrifying him.  It was hard to watch.  We were told that they needed to establish which would be the dominant donkey.  The whole scene was both frightening and sad. We just didn’t know where the line was between normal and dangerous.

Each encounter would last about 10 minutes, which was all we could stand.  This daily ritual lasted 4 weeks. 

Donkey Friendship
Donkeys Meetings

Then one day, the donkeys just started to graze together.

And they grazed and grazed!  They’ve been inseparable ever since.  They eat together, sleep together, lay in the sun together, investigate together and do a lot of nothing together!  That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

This Valentine’s Day we celebrate Rico and Jack, from a place of hopelessness to a place of love and a bond for life!

Donkey Friendship

Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary’s Donkey Rescue

Rescued Donkeys have a Loving Home at FFAS

Our mission at the Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary is to provide a safe and permanent environment for donkeys rescued from abusive, neglectful, and dangerous situations. We work hard to to save these incredible animals while educating the public so we can create a safer, more sustainable future for them.  

Our first rescued donkey, Rico, has been a huge success. Rico was saved from a kill pen in Oklahoma. He had severe injuries and was labeled a hopeless case. We provided him with critical veterinary care funded by donations from supporters like you. Along with patience and love, Rico was rehabilitated and now loves the companionship of people.

Why is Donkey Rescue Urgent Now?

Donkey rescue is more important now than ever. A recent rise in the slaughter of donkeys for their hides has led to underpopulation in some countries. In China, where the gelatin from donkey hides is used to make a traditional medicine (known as ejiao), the donkey population has been decimated. China is now turning to Mexico and South America to keep up with demand. More and more traders in the United States are selling donkeys to Mexico, who sell them to China and other countries to be slaughtered.

Donkeys in captivity are often severely mistreated. Their average life span is between 25 – 30 years, although some can live up to 35 years with proper care. This long commitment can lead to abandonment by owners and lack of necessary veterinary services. Many donkeys are overworked as farm animals and left to die in pain.

Donkeys are Widely Misunderstood

There are pervasive stereotypes that they are stubborn animals and are a nuisance for landowners. To the contrary, donkeys are highly intelligent. They make great companions. They can form bonds with other donkeys, horses and other animals, and even people. They are playful and enjoy human interaction. Donkeys also have a high level of emotional intelligence. They can experience emotional anxiety even if they are only separated from their buddy for a short period of time. They are also known to grieve the death of a buddy.

Donkeys are Great Companions and Unique Service Providers

In addition to being great companions, donkeys provide critical and unique services. In some parts of the world, they are essential to farming, construction, and maintaining a clean water supply. Donkeys can create financial independence in impoverished communities. In the United States, donkeys are often used for camping and hiking. They can provide a unique experience and access to mountain trails that would otherwise be insurmountable.

Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary Rescues and Rehabilitates Donkeys

At the Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, we provide life-changing and life-saving care for these incredible animals. After surviving an abusive or neglectful situation, donkeys need to be healed physically and psychologically so they can trust humans again. This requires patience, time, and love. Rescued donkeys have shown that despite a difficult past, they have much love to offer in return.

Our sponsorship program is an opportunity for you to be involved in saving a donkey’s life. We believe it is our responsibility to show compassion for these incredible animals that have so much to give in return. We hope you will help and sponsor one of these exceptional creatures.

Rico saying hello

Emotional Day on the Highway

Overcoming the Feeling of Helplessness

Have you ever had that horrible feeling that you were helpless? That you couldn’t do a single thing to change the outcome of what was about to happen. That was me yesterday. I was driving on the highway on my way back from rescuing Harriet and Cora, when I came upon a livestock transport truck in front of me. 

My heart sank.  I have been in the animal welfare community for several years.  I knew the fate of these animals and the conditions inside the truck. I knew the details of the horrors. I could see eyes peering through the holes in the truck, but I could not make out what animals were inside.   It was not until I started to pass the truck that I realized who was inside.  Sheep.  Lots and lots of sheep.  To think that these last few hours of their lives are filled with fear, fills my heart with pain and sadness.

As tears began streaming down my cheeks, I asked myself what could I do?  I became nauseous and numb.  For a moment, I thought I would follow this truck to its destination, but then reality set in and I realized there was nothing I could do.  I pulled off the highway and watched the truck continue its journey to the sheep’s horrific fate.

How to save abused animals?

I thought about the sheep that I have back at the Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.  I rescued them from the same fate as the sheep on that truck. Andy, Rocky, Opal, Cora and Harriet, have become our ambassadors for the other sheep that are victimized by factory farms or sheep that are abused by their owners.

If you like to learn more on how you can help these awesome beings, please visit   https://freedomfarmanimalsanctuary.org/how-you-can-help/

 

Lisa Miskella

Founder / Executive Director

Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary

Cora before

Are Sheep Smart?

Sheep are extremely intelligent animals.  They can recognize faces of both humans and their flock mates.  They form individual friendships with certain members of their flock and become stressed if they cannot find their friends.

What are sheep raised for? Sheep are raised for both meat and wool. Is wool animal abuse? Yes, both are extremely cruel.

These animals are sentient beings, capable of feeling happiness and gratitude, as well as pain, suffering and grief. All these animals want is a safe, pain free life where they can be happy. These animals do not deserve the cruel fate that is being done to them, therefore my life’s work is to give as many farmed animals as I can, a life of a loving sanctuary, but I am only one sanctuary.

Cora

What is livestock transport really like?

Livestock transport truck

As we returned from rescuing two sheep, Harriet and Cora, we encountered a livestock transport truck, face to face. As an animal rescuer, I know what are the conditions inside such trucks and what the fate of these animals will be. But coming face to face with it brought horror that seared though my whole body.

I could see eyes peering through the holes in the truck, but I could not make out what animals were inside.  I assumed they were chickens or pigs because I have seen these animals inside transport trucks before.

It was not until I started to pass the truck that I realized who was inside.  Sheep.  Lots and lots of sheep.  Four levels high. Legs and faces squeezing out of the holes on the side of the truck.  Their wool being pushed through the holes due to the overcrowding inside. 

The animals in such livestock transport trucks are urinating and vomiting on each other, covering each other in their own feces.  The interior of these trucks is cold metal, with no bedding, or food or water. The consequences of animal transportation include stress, thermal discomfort, dehydration, weight loss, energy depletion, and fatigue. These animals can be on these trucks for 24-48 hours. These sentient beings are scared for their lives. To think that these last few hours of their lives are filled with fear, fills my heart and soul with pain and sadness.

Knowing enough about farmed animal abuse inside this truck was one of the many reasons I decided to create my Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, to save as many animals as possible.

And we need your support to continue saving animals from such brutality.

If you like to learn more on how you can help these awesome beings, please visit us at https://freedomfarmanimalsanctuary.org/how-you-can-help.

 

Lisa Miskella

Founder / Executive Director

Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary

Livestock Transport Truck

What can we do to help abused animals?

As tears began streaming down my cheeks, I asked myshttps://freedomfarmanimalsanctuary.org/what-is-animal-transport-really-like/?et_fb=1&PageSpeed=off#elf what could I do?  I became nauseous and numb.  For a moment, I thought I would follow this truck to its destination, but then reality set in and I realized there was nothing I could do.  I pulled off the highway and watched the truck continue its journey to the sheep’s horrific fate.

I thought about the sheep that I have back at my Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.  I rescued them from the same fate as the sheep on that truck. Andy, Rocky, Opal, Cora and Harriet, have become our ambassadors for the other sheep that are victimized by factory farms or sheep that are abused by their owners.

What are sheep raised for?  How do they make wool? Is wool cruelty-free?

Sheep are raised for both meat and wool. The sheep are disbudded, where the sensitive horns are seared off. Their tails are docked (cut off) to prevent the risk of flystrike, in which flies lay eggs in the feces stuck to the sheep’s rear end. The larvae can enter the sheep’s body and cause a painful death. Male sheep are castrated by placing a tight band around their testicles until they fall off.  All these methods of mutilation are performed without any pain medication.

All these animals want is a safe, pain free life where they can be happy. These animals do not deserve the cruel fate that is being done to them, therefore my life’s work is to give as many farmed animals as I can, a life of a loving sanctuary. But we are only one sanctuary. 

Meet one of our rescues, Harriet

Harriet before

When we rescued Harriet

Harriet After

Harriet after we sheered her