Vegetarian mourns turkeys’ fate

Theodore Turk, 6 months, died not so peacefully with family in attendance. (It is rumored they met a similar fate.)

Theodore was born to Theona Turk (father unknown, as domestic turkeys have been bred to be so much larger than the original wild turkeys that they can no longer reproduce naturally and are artificially inseminated).

As a young turkey, Theodore enjoyed dust baths, preening and foraging for food. Life was good to him on the small Oregon farm, unlike the horror stories he had heard of factory farms from others in his flock. Stories were told of birds fed hormones and antibiotics to gain weight rapidly and in doing so their joints were swollen and legs were crippled. He had heard of birds that were housed in three-foot cages, mired in waste and urine, beaks sliced off without anesthetic, toms milked for their semen and hens forcefully inseminated.

Theodore’s situation was decidedly better. This small family farm was an exception to the rule, where a mere 10 turkeys were raised with ample space and abundant food. What Theodore was unaware of was that his days were numbered. Now tipping the scales at a portly 22 pounds, Theodore noticed an ominous look in his keeper’s eyes.

Theodore was preceded in death by his mother, Theona Turk, sister Tessa Turk and brother Thadius Turk, all of Sunny Dale, Ore. One younger brother, Terrance Turk also of Sunny Dale, Ore,. survives Theodore.

No memorial service or funeral will be observed. Portions of Theodore will be laid to rest in the graveyard of human consumption.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alaska Vegetarian Society, a local non-profit organization that promotes a healthy, compassionate diet that is devoid of animal products. www.alaskaveg.org

I write this obituary at this holiday season when turkeys are often considered little more than a centerpiece. In reality, they are social, playful birds that enjoy the company of others.

My mother raised turkeys. They possessed personalities as varied as cats and dogs. Her turkeys all had names and came running when called, knowing they would receive a treat. They relished having their feathers stroked and would chirp and cluck when my mother spoke to them.

One in particular took a liking to me. She would follow me around the yard, pecking at my feet until I would give her grain. I would sit and watch her preen and take her daily dust baths. She would often settle herself in the soil near my feet. One day, alone in the yard, I was singing. This turkey hen began to chirp along with me. Seriously. When I would stop, she would stop. When I would sing, she would chirp. It was a delightful experience.

Ben Franklin called the turkey “a bird of courage” and “a true original native of America.” He even suggested naming the turkey, instead of the eagle, our national bird.

Domestic turkeys have been genetically modified to gain weight because fatter turkeys mean more profit for farmers. In nature, turkeys can fly at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and run at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. The natural lifespan of the turkey is between 10 and 12 years, but on factory farms they are slaughtered at five months old.

In nature, chicks stay with their mothers for up to the first five months of their lives. Their bond is close and a mother turkey will defend her family against predators.

Male turkeys, or toms, are bigger and have more colorful plumage than hens. The males attract females with wattles, colorful flaps of skin around their necks, and tufts of bristles that hang from their chests.

Many respected researchers have spoken out on behalf of this intelligent bird. Oregon State University poultry scientist Tom Savage says, “I’ve always viewed turkeys as smart animals with personality and character, and keen awareness of their surroundings. The ‘dumb’ tag simply doesn’t fit.”

Even a popular turkey-hunting guide admits that turkeys are far from feather-brained. According to the Remington Guide to Turkey Hunting, turkeys will “test your wits as they are rarely tested in modern life.”

A traditional presidential pardon is granted each year to two lucky turkeys. This year marks the 61st anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation to then President Harry S. Truman. The first President Bush began the pardoning program in 1989. Even our own Gov. Sarah Palin pardoned a lucky turkey named Thanksgiving.

As the holidays approach and menus are prepared, perhaps we too might show compassion and pardon turkeys and other fellow creatures, so they will not have to give their lives that we might consume them. German-born American Physicist Albert Einstein once wrote, “Our task must be to free ourselves…by widening our circle of compassion, to embrace all living creatures, and the whole of nature and its beauty.”

Toni Faubion-Truesdell of Palmer is a retired educator, writer and 40-year resident of Alaska.