News Blog Turkeys are a life, not just for Christmas 24-12-24 Here at OneKind, we recognise that every animal is remarkable in their own unique way. With Christmastime being upon us, we would like to shine a spotlight on a few fascinating - and perhaps surprising! - facts about wild and domesticated turkeys. These birds are featured as imagery throughout the holiday season in the Western world, although sadly, this is due to turkey being considered as a centrepiece of a festive feast. Together, we will learn about these sentient beings and why we would suggest opting for one of the many plant-based, animal-friendly alternatives this Christmas, and beyond. The short life of a 'Christmas turkey' An average of 14 million farmed turkeys are killed each year in the UK and, although it seems to be an incredulous number, an astonishing 10 million of these turkeys will be killed just to fulfil the idea of a traditional Christmas dinner. Many of these turkeys will often live on intensive farms across the UK. These are sad, short lives as the turkeys are transported to the slaughterhouse at around just 4 months of age. Further, they are also victims of bird flu outbreaks. As recently as this winter, there has been an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in parts of England which has sadly resulted in thousands of turkeys being culled. At the time of writing, several areas of England have been declared a regional avian influenza prevention zone by the government. Within the confines of an intensive farming environment and reared for the purpose of being commodities at Christmastime, these sensitive and social animals are not able to fully exhibit their natural behaviours, of which there are many… Talkative turkeys As aforementioned, turkeys are incredibly sociable and can form tight, life-long bonds. Within these friendships, they love to blether with one another. So much so that it is believed wild turkeys have 28 different calls to communicate, which include purrs, clucks and little yelps – they don’t just gobble! In the wild, turkeys will live in complex communities of up to 100 – called rafters – and they are able to recognise and remember each other by their voices. Additionally, mothers will begin communicating to their babies – known as poults – whilst they are still within the egg. Turkeys are colour-changing creatures When you think of animals who can transform their appearance by changing colour, you may consider chameleons, frogs or octopuses, but did you know that turkeys join these animals in having this ability? A turkey’s head and throat will change colour depending on the emotion they are feeling or who they are around; blue could indicate they are excited and red could mean a male is stressed or courting a female turkey. Through their (amazing) eyes Turkeys have brilliant eyesight, in fact, they can see three times better than us humans! Plus, their field of vision is wider than that of a human, they can see 270 degrees whereas we are limited to 180. Moreover, like cats, they can see light on the ultraviolet spectrum. However, perhaps unlike cats, they can’t see as well at night, so wild turkeys will retreat to nesting in a tree to sleep out of the way of possible predators. American heritage and presidential pardons Turkeys are native to North America, and were favoured by Benjamin Franklin over America’s National Bird, the Bald Eagle, as he considered turkeys to be “birds of courage” and a “true original native.” Further, throughout American history, turkeys have received presidential pardons. It is believed that the first unofficial pardon was granted after Abraham Lincoln’s son grew attached to a turkey who had been gifted to his President father and pleaded with him to save the turkey. Many years later, President George H.W. Bush conducted the first official turkey pardoning ceremony. Unfortunately, each presidential pardon will sometimes save just one turkeys’ life and still, around 46 million turkeys are slaughtered each year for America’s Thanksgiving celebrations. You can adopt a turkey named Bruce! Back here in Scotland, you can adopt a rescued turkey called Bruce from the wonderful Ananda Animal Sanctuary in South Lanarkshire. All the farmed animals who reside at Ananda Animal Sanctuary have been saved from slaughter and are now living the rest of their lives in a loving, peaceful environment. Handsome Bruce is described as a bit of a grump but a big softie really, with a fondness of snacking on blueberries. By adopting Bruce, you’ll receive an exclusive video of him enjoying his Christmas dinner. Email the sanctuary to adopt Bruce and receive the adoption bundle including the 2025 calendar, magnets, photos and a tote bag Manage Cookie Preferences