Heart 4 Animals

Breeding toms (male turkeys) languish for roughly one year in dark crowded pens and are typically handled twice a week during “milking” sessions to collect their semen. Their legs are secured in a clamp on a bench, and then the bird is held over the lap of a worker who induces the turkey to ejaculate. The semen is collected through a suction hose and mixed with the semen of other toms.

For each of these breeding males there are more than 20 breeding hens who are also subjected to overcrowding and abusive handling. Roughly twice a week, hens are herded into a room, then one after another, they are held upside down, “cracked open” (as termed by industry representatives) and inseminated in assembly line fashion. As with the males, the females’ legs are clamped into metal forceps during the process as laborers race to inseminate an average of 1,200-1,400 hens within two hours. A worker described how young hens are curious and friendly with employees “until the first couple AIs – and then they run from you…” …more from AdoptATurkey.org