Horrifyingly, these words weren’t spoken by a cricketer or baseballer, but instead a worker at a farm operated by Bernard Matthews – the UK’s largest turkey producer, responsible for 30% of the UK’s turkey products. Abigail Penny, Executive Director of Animal Equality UK, writes.

Back in 2006, two workers disturbingly decided to practice their batting skills on live turkeys. Caught covertly on camera, they were shown heaving the birds high in the air and hitting them with poles, laughing as the animals fell to the hard farm floor. Their punishment? 200 hours of community service and a £350 fine.

No stranger to controversy, the following year Bernard Matthews again faced further criticism as a worker was found kicking turkeys like footballs, causing a public outcry.

But Bernard Matthews isn’t alone, and these weren’t isolated cases.

Over the years animal advocates have continued to shed light on the sickening realities of animal agriculture, including turkey farming. And this severe suffering is not only found in intensive factory farms either. Exposés into free-range, certified, local ‘smallholding’ farms and more have also uncovered distressing and systematic abuse of these sensitive animals.

Despite 15 years passing by since these haunting words were spoken, turkey farming remains as brutal as ever.

In 2018, undercover Surge investigators visited a Faccenda farm – one of the UK’s largest poultry producers and supplier to major supermarkets – only to discover heartbreaking scenes of injured turkeys, deformed and unable to walk.

That same year, Animal Equality revealed harrowing scenes on an award-winning Grove Smith Turkeys farm supplying high-end retailers, local butcher shops and pubs. Dozens of dead birds were left to rot amongst the living; multiple turkeys had gone blind due to untreated and infected wounds on their heads and eyes, and the psychological toll had become so immense that many turned to cannibalism.

Every year we’re served cosy ads of happy families sitting around the table at Thanksgiving, laughing and joking as they carve the turkey’s body before them. But, clearly, we’re not being fed the truth. Critical exposés carried out by brave animal activists allow us to see what really takes place behind closed doors.

And, while deliberate acts of violence are deeply disturbing, the industry’s legally permissible, standard practices are equally so. Over the years – like farmed chickens – turkeys have been selectively bred to grow so big, so fast, that their legs and lungs buckle under the strain. Their giant breasts are so enormous that farmed turkeys can no longer mate naturally, reliant entirely on artificial insemination. Stuffed into bleak, overcrowded sheds, intensively farmed turkeys – naturally curious and playful animals – struggle to move around and the stress causes many to peck those around them, leading to painful eye scarring.

These filthy places pose problems for turkeys and humans alike, creating the perfect breeding ground for infectious diseases to be borne. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75% of all new or emerging diseases in humans come from animals. Research shows that high levels of stress, like that caused by the unnatural conditions domesticated turkeys are kept in, can lead to the deterioration of their immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases. Bernard Matthews has seen its share of bird flu scares for decades, with reports of frequent outbreaks since as far back as 2007. In fact, just weeks ago a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu, which is currently making its way across Europe, was confirmed in a turkey farm in Cheshire, England. In the midst of a global pandemic, can we really risk further spread of dangerous diseases?

Turkeys are gentle animals, known to enjoy cuddles and attention, yet hundreds of millions bred for their meat each year will never know love. The only human touch that many will ever receive is when they are roughly snatched from the farm and delivered to their death at the slaughterhouse. Many suffer broken legs and wings during the rough process before they are then shackled, forced through an electrified bath, killed and plucked.

There’s a sad irony in the fact that every year the US President ceremonially pardons two turkeys when we treat these animals with such cruelty and contempt. Aren’t we the ones who need forgiveness?

Thanks to the work of Surge, Animal Equality, and many other dedicated animal advocates who have been fighting tirelessly for decades, the tide is turning for turkeys. Undercover investigations may ruffle a few industry feathers but, most importantly, they inform consumers of the true cost of the meat on their plates. And with more and more plant-based alternatives spanning the supermarket shelves, it’s never been easier to make the switch.

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful that more and more people are waking up to the truth. It’s time we start a new tradition and leave turkeys off our plates.

Abigail Penny is the Executive Director of Animal Equality UK, a leading, international animal protection organisation working with society, companies and governments to enact meaningful changes for farmed animals. The charity is currently running a ‘Matching Gift Campaign’, whereby all donations will be matched for a limited time. Learn more here.

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