by Christine Pesta
Whether it’s the holiday season, or just another lunch break, you will often find someone having turkey for their meal. Maybe someone will serve it up at a family get together, while someone else heads to the corner deli for a sandwich on a break from work, but in both situations, the people involved are not thinking about their food choices as completely as they may think.
Most meat-eaters are not making the connection that the meal on their plate was once a living being. That sentient animal, bird, or fish could feel, and did suffer before it died.
The sad truth is that at least 250 million to 300 million turkeys are killed in just the U.S. alone each year. What is even sadder is that with all the many sources of protein that don’t involve the taking of a life, their deaths are completely unnecessary. Perhaps the saddest part of all is that not only are their deaths unnecessary, but their last moments are both terrifying and agonizing.
With there being so many different products available, not only made to look and taste like turkey but, actually containing just as much, if not more, protein and other nutrients, why would anyone still continue to serve an actual turkey?
There are many arguments as to why you might want to reconsider how you celebrate the holidays. For those who are curious as to why vegans have chosen to still celebrate, but do so without harming these incredible birds, continue reading below.
1.) Turkeys are Social Creatures
Turkeys bond with other turkeys. They show compassion for their fellow turkeys and are loving and protective toward their young. They have a strong sense of family when allowed to interact – unlike the conditions they endure in a factory farm.
2.) They Display Emotion
Turkeys are capable of showing love, anger, and sadness. They can distinguish between individuals of different species, enjoy being hugged and petted, and have been know to hug back.
3.) They Are Intelligent
Turkeys are a lot smarter than they are given credit for. They have good memories and extensive vocabularies. They display emotion the same as a human, and can also problem-solve.
4.) They Live Under Horrible Conditions
While turkeys are big birds, they are most often crammed in with hundreds of other turkeys. They live on top of each other, in their own filth, until the day they are slaughtered.
5.) They Are Mutilated While Still Young
Turkeys and chickens have both their beaks and toes clipped, so as not to injure each other, due to living so closely packed together. It is done while they are still babies, and without anesthetic.
6.) They Endure Physical Abuse
Turkey farms have had their handlers filmed hitting and kicking turkeys; they also forcibly inseminate hens in order to get them to produce.
7.) The Way They Are Bred Causes Them Pain
Turkeys are bred to grow fast and big. As factories are trying to ensure that as much meat as possible is produced on each bird, it often results in their skeletal frame not being able to support them, and they will often collapse, with their legs broken, under the unnatural weight of their bodies.
8.) Many Are Injured or Die On the Way to Slaughter
The manner in which turkeys are rounded up and thrown in crates for transport leaves many of them dead, or at least badly injured with broken bones. The crates are commonly open-sided, with many transport trucks also having side panels open to the elements, which can leave the birds exposed to harsh weather conditions. They may be stuck in those trucks for close to two days with no food or water.
9.) There Is No Such Thing As “Humane” Killing
Just as people have numbed themselves to what the cost of eating meat really is, they’ve also turned a blind eye to how that meat is obtained. In their last moments, they fight for their lives, suffering unbearable pain and cruelty. Their deaths are anything but humane.
10.) There Are So Many Alternatives to Replace a Real Turkey
There are a number of companies that create vegan turkey roasts including Tofurky, Gardein, and Trader Joe’s. There are also other types of roasts and cutlets, which are vegan, that you can buy or make yourself. Remember, in replacing your turkey with an alternative, you don’t necessarily have to have a vegan turkey roast. In fact, you don’t need to have turkey, of any kind, at all! You can try a stir fry, lasagna, or enchiladas for the holidays – they can be made all vegan and all delicious. For those sandwiches for work, try the vegan turkey deli slices from Tofurky or Yves. Experiment – there are a number of brands out there to choose from!
This holiday season, and throughout the rest of the year, please make the connection between what is friend and what is food. Plants can provide all of the same benefits of meat, and more, without the needless loss of life to innocent creatures.
You will find that adopting a vegan lifestyle will not only benefit your own health, and that of the planet, but it will literally help to save the lives of the more than 1.5 billion animals killed every year worldwide.
Christine Pesta is a writer, and the owner and Executive Editor of Live Your Life Vegan. You can follow her here, on Live Your Life Vegan, where she contributes regularly, as well as on social media.
