*Did you know that mother turkeys are fiercely protective of their young, and will risk their lives to save their babies? Indeed, it is the natural tendency of turkeys to roost in the safety of the trees at night, and yet mother turkeys reject this to stay on the ground with their babies until they are old enough to fly.

*Did you know that baby turkeys will stay close to their mother up until they are five months old (the age, coincidentally, when farmed turkeys are sent off to slaughter)?

*Did you know that once trust has been established, turkeys love to be stroked, snuggled and petted for long periods of time? And did you know that, when receiving such affection, many turkeys make a sound that can only be described as “purring”?

*Did you know that turkeys have a 20+ “word” vocabulary, and that each & every turkey has a unique voice, distinctively different from every other turkey on the planet?

*Did you know that turkeys like to listen to music, especially classical, and will often sing along?

*Did you know that turkeys have outstanding geography skills? They have the ability to learn the precise details of an area over 1,000 acres in size.

*Did you know that male turkeys love to feel noticed and admired? On sanctuaries male turkeys are even known to follow busy human caregivers from chore to chore and standing off to the side — puffing out their exquisite feathers in a blast of scalloped ruffles; quietly and patiently waiting for the prospect of attention.

Of course you didn’t know all this, my Friends … It’s been kept from you by an industry that wants you to believe the lie that turkeys are “stupid birds” with little capacity for Joy or suffering. In reality, even domesticated turkeys are advanced social animals, and in conditions where they are permitted to thrive, they can be easily seen as the affectionate, sensitive, and highly intelligent animals that they truly are.

This has all been hidden from you since your youth,
… and yet now you know the Truth,

Please act accordingly this Thanksgiving.

Thank you.