Ellen Wants You to Skip Turkey This Thanksgiving

[trackrebel]

Ellen has a point...I often feel sorry for the birds...be it chicken, turkeys...no matter....but if you free all of them....where will they be going?....I guess it would be better to change the circumstances in which the turkeys are bred and better their short lifes a little.....

now my friends, I hope your turkeys gon be tastin good....I hope mine will be good come christmas too

 

[Jeff Westover]

I think Ellen and the good folks at Adopt-a-Turkey have a good thought about HOW the birds are treated. I get that. I respect that. I even agree with that...to a point.

But I also suggest they spend a little time getting to know these animals.

They aren't exactly the brightest of animals. They aren't good pets (that's a really lame suggestion on their part, putting this animals as pets to those who are untrained is folly and, in a way, cruel too). And they have a natural place in the food chain that is, for lack of a better word, far more brutal than how humans treat them.

Turkey farms are abundant where I live and while I don't work on one and it isn't my life I've seen enough of them to know that they aren't the most endearing animal in the world and no amount of turkey-hugging is going to make them any more warm and fuzzy than they are now.

Yes, treat them with the decency you would any living being. Waste should be controlled. Living conditions should be humane.

But for pete's sake, let's respect the order of the food chain, too. They have a purpose. Those eating turkeys should not be made to feel like the criminals. Those who mistreat them should be.

This has nothing to do with vegan lifestyles. For those that practice that, for whatever reason, good for them. A carrot was once a living thing too but I don't see anyone clamoring for their rights or to adopt-a-stalk-of-celery or anything like that.

Let's keep things in perspective.

I also like turkey at Easter.

 

[dvdelf]

I prefer ham at Easter, I'm not adopting a pig before anybody asks

 

[Christmas-A-Holic]

I guess it would be better to change the circumstances in which the turkeys are bred and better their short lifes a little.....

Yes, treat them with the decency you would any living being. Waste should be controlled. Living conditions should be humane.

But for pete's sake, let's respect the order of the food chain, too. They have a purpose. Those eating turkeys should not be made to feel like the criminals. Those who mistreat them should be.

That is a good point!

I would be concerned about any animal living in humane clean conditions before they are eaten.

If they are living in filthy inhumane conditions the meat would not be healthy and fit to eat.

I have heard Whole Foods do raise their animals properly. I also heard (love her or hate her) Martha Stewart sells turkey that is raised in clean humane conditions.

Just because I am vegetarian I would never insult anyone eating meat. I only insult some factories not keeping their establishments up to high standards. I still buy meat for my family and we do have turkey on the table.

I was part of a vegetarian forums so I could get some tips and recipes but really got tired of them insulting people who eat meat. They claimed anyone eating meat hated animals. Whatever! It got under my skin and I quit going to it. My whole family eats meat and LOVES animals!

Just know where your turkey is from and by all means ENJOY IT! Happy Thanksgiving! cheesy

 

[Undrtakr]

She is crazy. I'm EATING turkey lol

 

[TamaraQT]

I think Ellen and the good folks at Adopt-a-Turkey have a good thought about HOW the birds are treated. I get that. I respect that. I even agree with that...to a point.

But I also suggest they spend a little time getting to know these animals.

They aren't exactly the brightest of animals. They aren't good pets (that's a really lame suggestion on their part, putting this animals as pets to those who are untrained is folly and, in a way, cruel too). And they have a natural place in the food chain that is, for lack of a better word, far more brutal than how humans treat them.

Turkey farms are abundant where I live and while I don't work on one and it isn't my life I've seen enough of them to know that they aren't the most endearing animal in the world and no amount of turkey-hugging is going to make them any more warm and fuzzy than they are now.

Yes, treat them with the decency you would any living being. Waste should be controlled. Living conditions should be humane.

But for pete's sake, let's respect the order of the food chain, too. They have a purpose. Those eating turkeys should not be made to feel like the criminals. Those who mistreat them should be.

This has nothing to do with vegan lifestyles. For those that practice that, for whatever reason, good for them. A carrot was once a living thing too but I don't see anyone clamoring for their rights or to adopt-a-stalk-of-celery or anything like that.

Let's keep things in perspective.

I also like turkey at Easter.

GOOD POINTS JEFF!!! I think you have summed it up and said it best. Good Job!!

I prefer ham at Easter, I'm not adopting a pig before anybody asks

LOL !!!!!! OMG.....I thought I would actually DIE from laughing after reading that....so unexpected.....and GOOD POINT!!!

That is a good point!

I would be concerned about any animal living in humane clean conditions before they are eaten.

If they are living in filthy inhumane conditions the meat would not be healthy and fit to eat.

I have heard Whole Foods do raise their animals properly. I also heard (love her or hate her) Martha Stewart sells turkey that is raised in clean humane conditions.

Just because I am vegetarian I would never insult anyone eating meat. I only insult some factories not keeping their establishments up to high standards. I still buy meat for my family and we do have turkey on the table.

I was part of a vegetarian forums so I could get some tips and recipes but really got tired of them insulting people who eat meat. They claimed anyone eating meat hated animals. Whatever! It got under my skin and I quit going to it. My whole family eats meat and LOVES animals!

Just know where your turkey is from and by all means ENJOY IT! Happy Thanksgiving! cheesy

You go girl !!! No matter if you are vegetarian for health reasons or by choice, you are still considerate and respectful to others and that's what its all about.

 

[DoubleA]

I used to raise turkeys, not to be mean but they are dumb as dirt and pretty annoying and sometimes mean to the other birds. We still raise chickens, ducks and geese...not for food use so noone worry lol.
But I will be buying a turkey to go along with my gravy

 

[Irishsnow]

I will be adopting a turkey cheesy




It will be sitting in the middle of the dinner table on christmas Day with all the rest of the trimmings cheesycheesy

 

[trackrebel]

I used to raise turkeys, not to be mean but they are dumb as dirt and pretty annoying and sometimes mean to the other birds. We still raise chickens, ducks and geese...not for food use so noone worry lol.
But I will be buying a turkey to go along with my gravy

lol...your post made me laugh.....but one point....just because the animals are dump...or at least to us they seem dumb.....doesn´t make it right to treat them like dirt....
as I said...I will go on to eat turkey...and chicken...but i hope...and even pray that one day those dairy farms, chicken farms, turkey farms start to treat the animals like living creatures instead of just things...that is what makes me sick and sometimes ashamed of eating meat

 

[Seawaters]

It is really good! You can buy them frozen and can order by mail. There are many sites that show how to do it. Make them, not order them! You can probably figure out the ordering on your own!

Cherylle in CA

I have always wanted to try a turducken!

 

[VeganChristmasBaby]

Thank you Ellen!

I absolutely love Ellen and all she does, and this just made my day to see Elfbot post about this!

I've been a volunteer for Farm Sanctuary for a few years now, and I absolutely love the work they do to rescue and rehabilitate abused farmed animals. Their "Adopt-a-Turkey" program is a beautiful way of honoring a life, rather than taking one, this holiday.

I actually just spent a few hours with turkeys at a wonderful farm animal sanctuary called Animal Acres in Acton, CA, and I can assure anyone who doesn't know or who is misinformed - turkeys are smart, kind, and beautiful creatures with very unique personalities. I sat for almost thirty minutes with Lila, a rescued turkey, who, when I pet her gently under her wings, melted onto the ground and sat by me while I cuddled her.

As far as the question about being overrun by animals should we stop eating them goes, humans are the ones in charge of procreating them, not the animals themselves, as you will learn if you do enough research on factory farming (as I have these past four years), so once we stop producing them for food, they would go right back to naturally procreating at a much, much slower rate.

It's sad to know the horrors that are occurring to turkeys and other animals all across the world, especially because domestic, factory-farmed turkeys (which are 99% of the turkeys raised for food in this country) can no longer procreate naturally - they've been bred to be so large that they are all artificially inseminated. It's scary to think about.

It'll be my fourth Thanksgiving this year without a deceased turkey at the table. After growing up on meat, dairy, and egg dishes my entire life, switching to a lifestyle that doesn't include eating all of that was difficult, especially at the holidays. Now, it's something I celebrate - with good vegan food, family, and holiday music always.

I know everyone has their own living/eating preferences, and that's fine - I completely respect each person's individual life journey. I just felt compelled to share my experience with turkeys, because I think it's necessary that if one eats animals, they should at least feel connected to the life that was ended to produce their food.

The Dalai Lama actually said a beautiful thing recently that I feel is so pertinent to this thread, and something I may share at Thanksgiving with my own family. It is:

"I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for one self, one's own family or one's nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace."

I hope that whatever is at the center of your table this Thanksgiving, that you'll consider adopting a turkey anyway. And if for whatever reason, you want to try a holiday without eating a turkey, that you'll message me for help, because I love to help wherever I can!

Thank you for always being such a wonderful place to celebrate the holidays, and special thanks to Elfbot for sharing this great story!

 

[Jeff Westover]

Sorry, VeganChristmasBaby, I have to take exception to a couple of things here:

First of all, turkeys come in all stripes, just like all animals. But on the whole, intelligence isn't a trait. And in their natural state, they can be a pest and even a threat. Like almost all animals, they can be domesticated and very sweet. But a petting zoo animal is a far cry from most any kind of natural animal.

And just because they show those tendecencies once trained and domesticated doesn't mean they won't return to nature and become violent or more true to their predatory nature. We've seen it happen with everything from pit bulls to tigers. They are animals and have a place with us and deserve humane treatment. But let's not elevate them beyond what they are.

Second of all, I fully support those who choose to be vegan. Some need to, and I know a few folks with medical issues that preclude the digestion of meat. But all eating requires the taking of life -- I don't care what you eat.

To say there are deplorable conditions in some farm raised animals is the truth. But 99%??? Sorry, that's a distortion.

I live in an area of the country where there are several major turkey farms. I know these people. I've been there and seen the conditions they work in. And what you describe is completely off the mark -- and couldn't be further from the truth.

In my opinion, veganism is like many other "isms" out there in that some adhertents take it to extremes.

In my area, vegans are being blamed as contributing to problems with youth in issues of bulimia or anorexia. I'm not sure I buy that but the trend amongst the youth is unmistakable and doctors have taken to the airwaves to warn parents to moderate it in their kids. Being vegan doesn't cause it per se but the militant push by some who support that lifestyle leads to extremes in eating habits that are plain bad for growing bodies, though in theory "healthy".

Anything good done to an extreme is bad. I think it is good to inform but I see little good to be done in proselyting for for the vegan lifestyle by pushing guilt -- saying things like "I can eat without taking a life" or "I won't eat anything with a face" have nothing to do with nutrition or balance in diet and are just plain hurtful.

Even still, there are those who look at the foods they eat as spiritual blessings. Genesis is very clear --

For, behold, the abeasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is bordained for the use of man for food and for craiment, and that he might have in abundance.

Folks still take that pretty literally in that eating flesh and using animal products to make clothing isn't something we should feel guilty about.

Are there extremes the other way? You betcha. This month, where I live, is the annual deer hunt. It is an event I tried once and never will again. I don't eat deer meat, I would if I have to but since I don't have to I can't see going out after them with a gun. I don't believe in killing for sport.

But if I have to feed my family and I have the resources locally to do it you can bet I'd be out there catching fish and growing crops. That's my part in the food chain.

I like Ellen. Actually met her once in conjunction with a job function of a former employer. It was with a candy company and she is a fan of this brand of candy and came to tape a segment for her show. She was gracious, very, very funny and kind. But someone had the stones to ask her how she felt about the company using butter in the making of chocolate products and she momentarily got very dark. "You're kidding, right?" she asked. Then she smiled and said, "Hell, it's chocolate."

I was glad to see she didn't take the opportunity to get on her soap box or make a big deal of it.

I am disappointed when I see celebrities use their celebrity for controversial causes. This is a controversial cause. The accusation is that that turkey living conditions in US farms are deplorable.

I say prove it. I don't go all over the country but I know some of the biggest are here. And that's not what I am seeing.

I absolutely love Ellen and all she does, and this just made my day to see Elfbot post about this!

I've been a volunteer for Farm Sanctuary for a few years now, and I absolutely love the work they do to rescue and rehabilitate abused farmed animals. Their "Adopt-a-Turkey" program is a beautiful way of honoring a life, rather than taking one, this holiday.

I actually just spent a few hours with turkeys at a wonderful farm animal sanctuary called Animal Acres in Acton, CA, and I can assure anyone who doesn't know or who is misinformed - turkeys are smart, kind, and beautiful creatures with very unique personalities. I sat for almost thirty minutes with Lila, a rescued turkey, who, when I pet her gently under her wings, melted onto the ground and sat by me while I cuddled her.

As far as the question about being overrun by animals should we stop eating them goes, humans are the ones in charge of procreating them, not the animals themselves, as you will learn if you do enough research on factory farming (as I have these past four years), so once we stop producing them for food, they would go right back to naturally procreating at a much, much slower rate.

It's sad to know the horrors that are occurring to turkeys and other animals all across the world, especially because domestic, factory-farmed turkeys (which are 99% of the turkeys raised for food in this country) can no longer procreate naturally - they've been bred to be so large that they are all artificially inseminated. It's scary to think about.

It'll be my fourth Thanksgiving this year without a deceased turkey at the table. After growing up on meat, dairy, and egg dishes my entire life, switching to a lifestyle that doesn't include eating all of that was difficult, especially at the holidays. Now, it's something I celebrate - with good vegan food, family, and holiday music always.

I know everyone has their own living/eating preferences, and that's fine - I completely respect each person's individual life journey. I just felt compelled to share my experience with turkeys, because I think it's necessary that if one eats animals, they should at least feel connected to the life that was ended to produce their food.

The Dalai Lama actually said a beautiful thing recently that I feel is so pertinent to this thread, and something I may share at Thanksgiving with my own family. It is:

"I believe that to meet the challenges of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for one self, one's own family or one's nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace."

I hope that whatever is at the center of your table this Thanksgiving, that you'll consider adopting a turkey anyway. And if for whatever reason, you want to try a holiday without eating a turkey, that you'll message me for help, because I love to help wherever I can!

Thank you for always being such a wonderful place to celebrate the holidays, and special thanks to Elfbot for sharing this great story!

 

[VeganChristmasBaby]

Jeff,

First of all, my post was not intended to offend or disrespect anyone who chooses to eat turkeys at Thanksgiving. That was not what this original thread was about. Elfbot shared something that I initially thought was very positive - a celebrity using her powers for good by helping abused turkeys who need rescue to find that rescue for Thanksgiving. That's a wonderful thing.

Sadly, whether you wish to believe it or not, 99% of turkeys raised for food are coming from factory farms. That's not my opinion - that is a truth, and I suggest looking it up if you don't believe me (there are endless amounts of literature supporting this). And whether or not the turkeys are treated well was not what I said next to that 99% statistic - I said that 99% of the turkeys raised on factory farms can no longer naturally procreate - because they no longer can. This again is not an opinion or me expressing my feelings - this is a truth.

I have researched this issue for nearly half a decade, educated myself on every book, paper, and film I can on the subject, and firsthand witnessed animals taken out of commercial factory farms. I'm an animal advocate who has devoted her life to speaking on behalf of these animals and working compassionately and kindly with fellow people in widening their scope of awareness. That is my experience, so in light of all of the comments about adopting a turkey by sticking it in the oven and eating it on Thanksgiving, I would say that I'm allowed to give these little guys a voice in the matter here.

I have much more that I'd love to say, but I don't like arguing online - I've encountered debates like this countless times in the past, and I've learned the hard way that it often doesn't change people's minds. What I will say is this - the conditions on factory farms are deplorable, whether you choose to agree with me or not. I would be happy to direct you to hundreds of undercover investigations that prove this point (I know I can't share them on here, because I'm not allowed to include hyperlinks). But I know that my saying any of this will not convince you that it's true - and that's fine with me. I originally thought myself that people who worked in animal rights were extreme at one point too - I even used to hate PETA, believe it or not Jeff! But educating oneself can be a powerful tool and one that I chose to do four and a half years ago when I let in the dark truth of what happens to animals raised for food.

I am happy to agree to disagree here, and I hope that despite our differeing opinions on this matter, that I can still enjoy being on this site and sharing my vegan holiday traditions. I have tried in all of my former posts on here to be positive, supportive, and kind, and that was what I tried to do here. And I will continue to.

I hope you can respect all of this, and I will respect how you feel too. Thank you for this wonderful website and for allowing people to talk openly about a wide scope of different issues, and most off all, thank you for allowing everyone - no matter their living/eating preference - to share in the holiday cheer no matter what month it is. This is one of my favorite places to be, and I look forward to sharing in the discussions more.

 

[Courtney]

And... now back to our regularly scheduled and peaceful Thanksgiving chatter... :wink:

 

[Jeff Westover]

Amen to educating oneself, VeganChristmasBaby. As just as lifestyles are taken to extremes, so are facts.

Sadly, whether you wish to believe it or not, 99% of turkeys raised for food are coming from factory farms. That's not my opinion - that is a truth, and I suggest looking it up if you don't believe me (there are endless amounts of literature supporting this). And whether or not the turkeys are treated well was not what I said next to that 99% statistic - I said that 99% of the turkeys raised on factory farms can no longer naturally procreate - because they no longer can. This again is not an opinion or me expressing my feelings - this is a truth.

This is a distortion. That's a nice way of saying it is false, and I'm certain you don't intend to be misleading.

One of the largest turkey farms in the country is located in Moroni, Utah. I have been there. Turkeys running around all over the place. Though I don't have any statistics, I have it on authority that a great many of them procreate on their own. I know the proprietors of the farm and they deal with this kind of distorted and misleading information all the time.

Now, I'm not an expert and I readily admit it. I haven't, in fact, studied it at length as you claim.

But I am highly suspicious of broad generalizations and claims of 99% of anything.

78% of all statistics are made up, you know.

As for your presence on these boards, you are always welcome. I look forward to hearing alternative ideas from anyone relative to our Christmas topics. Disagreements are bound to crop up and I think we can disagree without being diagreeable. I certainly hope you weren't offended by what I shared because I certainly wasn't offended by what you shared.

My B.S. meter tilted and I had to say something.

It is hard not to appear as pushing an agenda when you are so passionate about it. I don't think you've been pushing an agenda and I don't have anything against you or anyone who pursues a vegan lifestyle. I hope you stay.

 

[Storeytime]

Not only am i going to EAT a turkey - but also a duck and a chicken... THATS RIGHT! We have a Tur-Duc-En every year... YUM YUM YUM!!!!

I've been wanting to try one for a while. Do you cook your own from scratch?

 

[DoubleA]

Trackrebel I agree 100% with you, its sick the way some people treat them. We use ours for shows so they have lots of room and roam free around the orange trees and enclosures. Wish the ones who toss them in tight spaces and treat them like dirt get whats coming to them.

 

[DoubleA]

And on the Turducken concept, I was watching a cooking show where they threw one on the BBQ grill, now that takes some skill.

 

[VeganChristmasBaby]

Jeff, I think we will definitely have to agree to disagree on the turkey procreation statistic. Would never intend to be false or misleading about a statistic as scary as that - but I'm totally willing to respect how you feel about it. A great book with some more info about the subject where I originally found the statistic is Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer - I highly recommend it if you ever want to learn more. If you have a turkey farmer you know who is at least treating his turkeys well before their end, then that's a lot less abusive than most factory farms out there, so wonderful.

Thanks for respecting everything else I had to say, and yes, Courtney, now back to some peaceful Thanksgiving chatter.

 

[Mumof2]

Storey, you can have your local butcher de-bone them for ya and then you can stuff them into eachother and add spices you like,Or you can look them up and have one delivered to ya.ther are a number of places online.My MIL will be bringing our Turducken up from Louisiana,Yum!