Rescue & Adoptions

2007 Featured Rescues

38 Turkey Peeps Spared from Certain Death on Factory Farm

Looking into the bright, innocent eyes of Sullivan, it is hard to comprehend the suffering he endured only weeks ago-let alone the bleak future he would have faced had he not found refuge at Farm Sanctuary's New York Shelter. Left on our doorstep with 37 other tiny, fuzzy, yellow peeps, Sullivan's exact place of origin will forever remain a mystery. But careful inspection of his and the other babies' beaks and toes, all of which bear the evidence of abuse, reveals enough to mark them as the helpless victims of one of our nation's cruelest institutions: the factory farm.

Allotted only 3 square-feet in which to live until reaching slaughter weight at about 14 to 18 weeks, today's "commercial turkeys" are typically raised inside massive warehouses, where they never feel the sun on their feathers, breathe fresh air, or explore the living earth beneath their feet. And, as if thwarting these sentient beings' basic desire to revel in the natural world isn't dreadful enough, the poultry industry prepares newly-hatched peeps for a life of inescapable confinement by putting them through a miserable and traumatic routine that claims the lives of countless, fragile poults every year.

Of the many procedures endured by turkeys primed for life on a factory farm, is the all-too-common and disturbing practice of toe and beak removal-mutilations that often cause pain and reduce quality of life for birds as they mature. Adversely affecting simple daily actions-such as eating-de-beaking hinders the birds' ability to pick up and consume small pieces of food. And toe amputation, which can lead to painful and debilitating foot and leg maladies, often interferes with the turkeys' ability to normally maintain their balance as they grow.

Clearly de-toed, but not so obviously de-beaked, many of our turkey peeps arrived at Farm Sanctuary with the top portions of their beaks still fully in tact. Sadly, they too will soon disappear, leaving the youngsters maimed for life. The procedure responsible for this delayed, yet inevitable and unpreventable loss, known as laser beak-trimming, is one of the industry's more recent alternatives to de-beaking with heated blades. Poultry producers claim laser trimming as a welfare advance, but how can this be a welfare advance when the industry continues to alter the bird to suit her surroundings, rather than alter the surrounding to suit the bird? An industry that violently handles and ruthlessly violates turkeys for the sake of profit margins can never be considered "humane."

Though they will forever cope with the physical trauma of their early days, Sullivan and his little friends will be provided with every opportunity to overcome adversity and heal from the deep wounds of their past. Already, these energetic and curious youngsters are thriving under the care of attentive caregivers, freely strutting their stuff around their new turf, and convalescing, safe and snug, in their very own hospital pen.

Growing by leaps and bounds with each passing day, our maturing poults are quickly outgrowing their current piece of paradise. And in the coming months, these special little peeps will be seeking permanent, loving homes to call their own. If you want to make a more direct impact on the lives of farm animals and are able to provide lifelong sanctuary for two or more turkeys, please opt to adopt through our Farm Animal Adoption Network.