Thanksgiving is always a bittersweet holiday at MFS. While it gives us an opportunity to showcase our amazing turkey residents, we cannot help but grieve the loss of the estimated 46 million* turkeys slaughtered each year for this one day alone.
Our three rescued turkeys, Garner, General, and Gwendolyn, serve as wonderful ambassadors for turkeys who suffer terrible fates at factory farms every day of the year. They help visitors understand that every turkey is a unique and special being who is deserving of love and compassion.
Check out the stories and photos below to learn more about the turkeys at MFS and their turkey brethren. We’d also be grateful if you would help contribute to their care by making a gift to our 2018 Winter Hay Fundraiser. Thank you so much for your support!
Garner & General
A fellow farm animal advocate spotted Garner and General wandering down the street near a butcher shop and brought them to MFS in early October of this year. Had they not been rescued, Garner and General would almost certainly have ended up on someone’s table this Thanksgiving.
Garner is the larger and more confident of the pair. We have to keep an eye on him at mealtimes to make sure he doesn’t hog the food bowl. General loves people, and has been know to plant himself in front of the volunteers who clean the big barn hallway to get their attention!
Above: Both General and Garner (pictured) are males, or toms, and they can often be spotted strutting, puffing out their feathers, and making the distinctive turkey gobble sound.
Above: Toms look very different when they are not puffed up. Their feathers smooth over and their snoods (the fleshy areas hanging over their beaks) and wattles (the fleshy areas around their necks) become smaller and less bright.
Above: As General demonstrates, turkeys lack external ear structures but hear from holes in the sides of their heads. While their "ears" may look unimpressive, like other prey species, turkeys have exceptionally good hearing.
Above: With eyes on the sides of their heads, turkeys like Garner have a 360-field of vision...unless their snoods get in the way that is.
Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn (Gwen) came to MFS the day after Thanksgiving in 2016 after a miraculous change of heart. A hunter, who went into the woods to shoot a wild turkey for his Thanksgiving meal, found Gwen instead. She had likely escaped from a nearby farm and was injured. The hunter took pity on Gwen and decided to bring her to MFS, where we treated her injuries and gave her a loving home.
Above: All male turkeys have beards, but only a small percentage of females do, including Gwen! Turkey beards are actually fibrous feathers that resemble black bristles and hang down from their chests and away from their plumage.
Above: Gwen’s wild turkey relatives like to sleep in trees, but Gwen will sleep pretty much anywhere, including atop a fresh bale of hay or on a warm spot on the floor—she also falls asleep on the feet of volunteers when they pet her.
Above: Like most turkeys, Gwen is very social and forms bonds with other animals and people. She loves tagging along on MFS tours and will even take the lead if our tour guides let her!
*“Thanksgiving’s Toll on Turkeys,” from Farm Sanctuary.
