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When the President Pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey,
What Really Happens to Her?
Every year since 1947, the president has pardoned the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the alternate turkey in a well publicized ceremony at the White House. The concept is that these lucky two turkeys are spared from becoming dinner, and instead are sent to a farm or other location to live out their lives. For the past three years, the turkeys have been sent to live at a Disney Park and are annually exhibited in Disney’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
We rarely hear more about these turkeys after the pardoning ceremony, but, in 2007, a Philadelphia Daily News columnist decided to check on the 2005 National Thanksgiving Turkey and alternate, Marshmallow and Yam, and he learned that both turkeys had died within only one year of arriving at their Disneyland “retirement” home. Disneyland spokesman, John McClintock, explained that the turkeys “were raised as Thanksgiving turkeys,” who are “not meant to live a long time.” He said that their diet “literally makes the turkeys so fat it’s difficult for them to stand on their legs. That’s one reason they did not live a long time and were not expected to live a long time.”
| Ever wonder why there is an alternate?
There must be a serious concern the National Thanksgiving Turkey will die before the ceremony, because, according to the National Turkey Federation, an alternate turkey is on hand every year "in case the National Thanksgiving Turkey can't perform its duties."
(Philadelphia Daily News: "'Pardoned' Bird Also Is Doomed" Nov. 19, 2007 |
We don’t know what has happened to the 2007 National Thanksgiving Turkey, but according to the White House, this turkey “was raised using normal feeding and other production techniques.” Sadly, normal poultry production means future health problems and shortened lives. There are 250 to 300 million turkeys slaughtered for meat today and of those, the vast majority are raised on factory farms where they suffer the harmful effects of intensive production and unnatural breeding practices. Selectively bred to have abnormally-large breasts, and to grow twice as fast and twice as large as their ancestors, turkeys reach market weight in only 14-16 weeks. These turkeys are unable to fly, and many lose their ability to walk, as their legs are unable to support their tremendous weight. And, unlike the chosen annual National Thanksgiving Turkey and the alternate who must look presentable for the press, most turkeys are subjected to debeaking and detoeing, painful procedures in which producers cut off half of their upper beaks and remove the ends of their toes without anesthesia.
These commercially bred turkeys need special care, but should live longer than the brief year that Marshmallow and Yam survived at Disneyland. Farm Sanctuary’s shelter staff routinely cares for turkeys rescued from the industry and since 1986 Farm Sanctuary has rescued more than 1,000 turkeys, most of whom commonly live to 4 or 5 years old. Our oldest turkey reached eight years old!
Did you know? Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey as our national symbol rather than the bald eagle. Such a choice may have changed the course of history for these true American patriots. |
Farm Sanctuary is asking that the President take one further step by not just making the annual pardoning a press opportunity. Instead, we are urging President Bush to ensure that this year’s National Thanksgiving Turkey and alternate are given a better life by sending them to Farm Sanctuary where they will get the best possible attention and care, and can truly live out their lives in peace.
YOU CAN HELP
Send a quick email to President Bush asking him to send the National Thanksgiving Turkeys to Farm Sanctuary. E-mail directly from here.
You can also send a letter or call:
Mailing Address:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone Number for Comments: (202) 456-1111
Website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
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