Turkey industry misconceptions addressed through videos

An online video series available on AmericasTurkeyFarmers.org answers questions and clears up misconceptions about how turkeys are raised on U.S. farms.

Roy Graber Headshot
Photo courtesy of Iowa Turkey Federation
Photo courtesy of Iowa Turkey Federation

An online video series available on AmericasTurkeyFarmers.org, represented by the National Turkey Federation, answers questions and clears up misconceptions about how turkeys are raised on U.S. farms.

The video series, hosted by Minnesota turkey farmer John Zimmerman, offers viewers a virtual tour of Zimmerman’s turkey barns, while he answers questions consumers can often have about modern turkey production. The videos are formatted for social media and available for online sharing.

There are four videos in the series. Here is a preview of each one:

Is it true that turkeys are kept in cages?

Zimmerman explains that “on a real turkey farm,” from the time that the birds are day-old poults to when they are ready for market, they always have the freedom to move about through a barn “as far back and as long as a football field” to eat corn and soybean meal and drink as much water as they want. They do that all without the presence of cages, he said.

Zimmerman points out that as a flock, turkeys prefer to stick closer together and leave open spaces in the barn.

He also shows how sunlight comes into the barn through side windows that can be opened and closed, while ventilation also helps the barn maintain comfortable cages.

He further explains the barn’s value in protecting the turkeys from predators and weather extremes.

Are turkeys really overmedicated?

Zimmerman points out that turkeys can get sick and need help to get well, especially since they live in groups and can expose each other to illnesses. While proper nutrition, ventilation, housing and vaccination all play a role in keeping turkeys healthy, sometimes medications are still needed.

“When necessary, veterinarians can prescribe treatment to help the birds get better and prevent animal suffering. Veterinarians are experts in animal health. They work closely with the farmer and follow the ethical guidelines of the veterinarian’s oath, as well as professional guidance from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Avian Pathologists.”

When turkeys are given mediations, there are safeguards in place to make sure the meat from those birds is safe for consumption, Zimmerman said, veterinary oversight and following withdrawal times, which assure the medication has cleared the animals’ system. The meat is routinely tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he added.

Are turkeys really factory farmed?

Turkey farming not factory farming, but rather family farming, explained Zimmerman, and those family farming operations often spans generations. Turkeys are farm raised with smart technology and responsible stewardship of resources, he added.

Zimmerman described the turkey bedding made of natural resources, and how that bedding is recycled after the flock is moved out to market.

Energy-efficient, heating, cooling and lighting technologies are also utilized, and farmers monitor those levels closely, while also walking the barn several times daily to ensure the health of the birds in the flock.

“Every American turkey farmer seeks to conserve resources, while ensuring the health and safety of the flock, the food supply and the land,” Zimmerman said. “It just makes sense.”

Are turkeys really pumped up on hormones and steroids?

Zimmerman pointed out that it is against federal law to add hormones or steroids to turkeys.

Instead, Zimmerman explained that most modern commercial turkeys are larger than they were in earlier generations. That change is due to a response for increased consumer demand for more white meat, and selective breeding to produce larger birds with more breast meat.

“We breed the birds with the best genetics in order to get the most desirable traits. Those traits efficiently convert their feed into meat, leg strength and an overall larger frame size to support a meatier breast,” he said.

The feed typically consists of a corn and soybean diet with vitamins and minerals, he added.

Other online video resources

The videos featuring Zimmerman’s farm complement other videos on the AmericasTurkeyFarmers website, including one that features a look at the Bar G Ranch turkey operation, which was a 2014 USPOULTRY Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award recipient, and the video “Turkey Farm & Processing Plant Tour,” narrated by animal welfare expert Temple Grandin, PhD.

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