The consumption of turkeys in the U.S. has escalated through the
years. It’s no longer eaten primarily at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but
throughout the year. The process of mass-producing turkeys for human
consumption is as barbaric, if not more so, than the process
of mass-producing chickens.
Unhealthy and overcrowded conditions mean that disease
amongst commercial turkeys is widespread, resulting in approximately 2.7
million turkeys dying in their sheds every year. Foot and leg deformities, heat
stress and starvation caused by the inability of immature birds to find the
feed and water troughs are commonplace. Ulcerated feet and hock burns are
common - caused by continual contact with litter contaminated by urine and
feces.
Can you really sit at dinner on your next holiday and look
at a roasted turkey the same way? Turkeys come with the same
recommendations for cleanliness and cooking that chickens do. You have to be
sure they’re cooked to a specific temperature to ensure that any
disease-causing bacteria are completely killed. You should clean up any counter
space with bleach, again to kill all bacteria.
It makes a compelling case for switching to a vegetarian
diet, doesn’t it? Suddenly, the jokes about vegetarian dinners, with nut loaves
and vegetables, instead of meat, seem to make more sense, not only from a
health standpoint, but from a humane issue as well. Why do we persist in eating
in such a way that makes us unhealthy and is inherently bad for us? For you
next holiday dinner, consider the possibilities of an all-vegetarian menu. So
much of the dinner is vegetable-based to begin with; it’s a small change to
replace turkey with a plant-based main course as well.
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