The turkey the divine bird of the Maya.
Turkeys were revered, symbolising power and prestige.
Thanksgiving, with its symbolic gesture of giving thanks for life, is hypocritical and unfair when juxtaposed with the reality faced by the millions of turkeys confined on farms.
The industrial farming of turkeys and their daily existence on such farms bear little resemblance to the idyllic image often associated with a good life. Turkeys endure cramped living conditions, marked by frequent incidents of aggressive behavior and battles among males. Weaker individuals often fall victim to trampling or are pecked to death.
In contrast, wild or free-ranging turkeys possess remarkable memory, retaining precise knowledge of their surroundings even after a year of absence. Regrettably, none of these natural experiences are available to turkeys living in the confines of a farmhouse.
The fattening period for turkeys typically spans 120 to 140 days, depending on their gender. Once this period comes to an end, it’s time to transport them to the slaughterhouse. This process commences with the capture of the birds and their placement into cramped metal containers aboard a truck.
These turkeys are notably heavy and unwieldy, and workers often handle them in a forceful manner, frequently grabbing multiple birds by their legs simultaneously. During this handling, the birds are dragged along the ground and forcefully thrown into the containers, resulting in many injuries.
On the roads, turkey transports are unmistakable from a distance, with their wings frequently wedged between the metal bars of the containers.
The myth of the sacred bird is fading.
