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Thanksgiving Turkey: What's Happened to Common Sense?

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    Thanksgiving Turkey: What's Happened to Common Sense?

    Orlando Sentinel, Sunday, November 23, 2014

    Erika Maier spends nearly $200 for her Thanksgiving turkey. And she drives an 8 hour round trip to get the bird. Maier, who holds Thanksgiving at her Brevard County home every year, continues to buy the pricey turkeys because they are allowed to roam freely outdoors, instead of being cooped up.

    "I want them to have as natural a life as possible," Maier said, adding that her family says a prayer for the turkeys and hopes they had a great life. "I would rather scrimp on other stuff and save my money during the year to have the very best meat possible for Thanksgiving," she explained.

    My evaluation:

    Let's examine the facts. According to the Sentinel article, the "free range" turkeys Maier saves up $200 to buy are "able to roam freely in a half-acre area." My back yard is larger than that. In my opinion, free range would be for the 100 turkeys this farm sells per year to roam on at least 50 acres of woods (domestic turkeys can't fly like wild ones can). 100 turkeys per half acre, is an area about 10 X 20 feet per turkey, smaller than most living rooms. Putting 100 turkeys on a half acre instead of in a commercial turkey house means that these turkeys probably eat their own feces. Turkey houses, where conventional turkeys are raised, have litter floors that are cleaned regularly to prevent turkeys from getting diseases. The litter material is usually wood shavings, sawdust, peanut hulls, straw, or other dry, absorbent materials that absorb moisture, limiting production of ammonia and harmful pathogens. Once removed, the litter is decontaminated and used or sold for fertilizer.

    So Erika Maier is spending $200 for a turkey that is probably not as safe to eat or as healthy as a conventionally raised turkey that she could buy for much less. Is she irrational or what?

    #2
    Yea, I would agree. As they say, "You can't fix stupid".

    Comment


      #3
      But it's happier... I had the chance to talk to a PhD in Ag and asked the old wives tale about turkey being so dumb when it rains they look up and drown. He said that is not possible, they are much dumber, it would not even occur to them that the drop came from above.

      Comment


      • gcdmd
        gcdmd commented
        Editing a comment
        When ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.

        Robert Burns

      • Huskee
        Huskee commented
        Editing a comment
        When I hit my first turkey as I was driving about 40mph, I realized the irony of how hard those buggers are to hunt due to their keen eyesight and so forth, yet how dumb they are that my relatively giant car making noise and moving at 40mph eluded them to the point that they felt safe enough to cross in front of me. Odd creatures they are.

      • mackdaddy
        mackdaddy commented
        Editing a comment
        Just think. Ben Franklin wanted to make it our national bird. NOT! Have you ever heard of an eagle being hit by a car? Neither have I.

      #4
      The term "bird brain" has scientific basis.

      Comment


      • mackdaddy
        mackdaddy commented
        Editing a comment
        That's why we eat them. 👍🍗

      #5
      I think Hilliary said something about it Taking a Village to be surrounded by idiots. Dan

      Comment


        #6
        And to think, it was almost our National Bird....

        Comment


          #7
          Fun post talking about the differences between "free range" and what it actually means or doesn't mean. But let's please keep in mind Pit Guideline #2, and not let politics take over.

          Comment


          • Danjohnston949
            Danjohnston949 commented
            Editing a comment
            Thanks for the reminder Huskee, Duly Noted! Dan

          #8
          Here is a photo of a true free range turkey.

          Comment


          • Huskee
            Huskee commented
            Editing a comment
            True dat. Free range, to me, means wild. No fences.
            Is that you with that nice bird?

          #9
          Yes, that's me. I had a hunting lease about a 30 minute drive away. I killed two bucks, three wild hogs and two gobblers that year. This was the second gobbler.

          Comment


            #10
            My great-uncle had a farm in Washington, GA, with cattle and turkeys. The farm was rather large, not sure of the acreage, but the livestock wasn't crowded by any means. Anyway, I remember how much fun I had as a kid watching turkeys when I would "gobble, gobble" as loud as I could, and they would all stop what they would doing, rise up, and "gobble, gobble" in response!

            Comment


            • Danjohnston949
              Danjohnston949 commented
              Editing a comment
              Wasn't Washington GA the Capitol of the Confederacy for a short time? I have been there many times calling on a Forestry Dealer, Pioneer Logging Machinery. I was last there in 1987, I imagine it has all changed. Welcome to the Pitt, Dan

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