(no subject)
Turkeys Have Nothing to Be Thankful for
Before they are killed, these gentle birds spend up to five months on factory farms, where as many as 25,000 birds are tightly packed into each dark shed. They are given only 3 to 4 square feet of space per bird-not even enough to flap a wing or stretch a leg. To keep the overcrowded birds from scratching and pecking each other to death, factory workers slice off a portion of their upper beaks and toes with a hot blade. No anesthetics are used during this agonizing procedure.
They must stand mired in layers of waste while urine and ammonia fumes burn their eyes and lungs. They are purposely bred to gain an enormous amount of weight in a short period of time. This leads to painful, swollen joints, crippled feet, and heart attacks. Hundreds of thousands of turkeys suffer from "round heart syndrome" resulting from the stress of confinement and genetic selection. Millions of turkeys don't even make it past the first few weeks: Many succumb to "starve out" (when they don't eat or drink), often brought on by the stress of debeaking. Still others die as a result of heat exhaustion, freezing, or accidents during transport to slaughter.
Once at the slaughterhouse, turkeys are hung upside-down by their weak and crippled legs. Their heads are dragged through an electrified "stunning tank," which immobilizes them but does not render them unconscious. Many birds dodge the tank and, therefore, are fully conscious when their throats are slit. If the knife fails to properly slit the birds' throats, they are boiled alive in the tank of scalding water used for feather removal
from peta.org
happy thanksgiving everyone!
eat tofurkey!