Rescue & Adoptions

Healthcare with Heart Stories

Turkey “Pedicures”

Turkeys rescued from factory farms have often been debeaked and detoed — cruel practices performed without anesthesia to minimize injuries caused by intense overcrowding. Because this procedure is done in an assembly line fashion, the toes are sometimes missed, or partial toenails and toes remain. This, sadly, results in chronic foot problems.

Farm Sanctuary’s health care staff checks the turkeys’ toes, and trims their nails frequently. If they have toenails, they grow quickly, and can curl under the foot and cause them discomfort when walking. If they have deformed nails due to sloppy toe removal, we especially want to trim them often, so they don't grow into the foot, or split and cause an infection.