Resources

Turkey Friends

Rescued Turkey

At Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary, we celebrate the individuality and intelligence of our turkey residents. Our specialist, Katya, has developed close bonds with these curious and playful birds, uncovering just how misunderstood they are. Each turkey has a unique personality—some enjoy human affection, while others prefer exploring their surroundings.

We aim to educate the public on their natural behaviors, dietary needs, and the challenges they face due to selective breeding. In our sanctuary, turkeys are free from the hardships of factory farming and human consumption, living full, healthy lives in peace.

Explore this page to learn more about these remarkable animals and how you can support them.

Katya: Our Turkey Specialist
As the turkey specialist at Luvin Arms, I have developed a deep bond with our avian residents. Before working at Luvin Arms I was under the impression, like most people, that birds were not very intelligent and didn’t have personalities. After working closely with them, I realized how misinformed I was. I have been able to see how intelligent, curious and playful all farmed birds are. Turkeys especially have distinct personalities, some are more outspoken and love affection from humans (Chamomile) while others are more reserved and prefer to forage in their backyards all day (Maple). It has been such an honor to have the opportunity to learn about each turkey on an individual basis and see them blossom into their personalities.

Rescued Turkey


Meet Our Turkey Residents!
At Luvin Arms, we are home to seven remarkable turkeys, each with their own unique story:

Chamomile
Breed – Broad Breasted White Turkey
Rescue date – November 2018
Age – Estimated age is 6 years old

Rescued Turkey

Oolong
Breed – Broad Breasted White Turkey
Rescue date – November 2018
Age – Estimated age is 6 years old

Rescued Turkey

Pearl
Breed – Heritage Turkey
Rescue date – October 24th 2020
Estimated age – 4 years old

Rescued Turkey

Gus
Breed – Broad Breasted White Turkey
Rescue date – November 20, 2023
Estimated age – 1 years old

Rescued Turkey

Pumpkin
Breed – Broad Breasted White Turkey
Rescue date – November 20, 2023
Estimated age – 1 years old

Rescued Turkey

Matilda
Breed – Broad Breasted White Turkey
Rescue date – November 20, 2023
Estimated age – 1 years old

Rescued Turkey

Maple
Breed – Broad Breasted White Turkey
Rescue date – November 20, 2023
Estimated age – 1 years old

Rescued Turkey

Did You Know…

  • Turkeys have exceptional eyesight: turkeys have a monocular, periscopic vision which means they have a 360-degree field of vision when they turn their head. They can also see all types of color, even UV, which helps them find food. All of our turkeys love shiny objects and are very curious when we bring in a new colorful item. 
  • Turkeys can fly for short distances: turkeys have the ability to fly and wild turkeys naturally roost in trees at night. Our broad-breasted turkeys love to show us how high they can jump when they see a treat they like. Pearl, our heritage turkey, prefers to sleep on an elevated surface like her wild ancestors. 
  • Turkeys form tight-knit bonds with their flock: Turkeys can easily distinguish a flock member from a new turkey. For this reason, the care team has to slowly integrate new turkeys into a flock. 
  • Male turkeys have the ability to change color: Male turkeys (Toms) have a wattle and a snood. The wattle has the ability to change color (red, pink, blue, and grey) which can indicate how they are feeling. Our large tom Gus will often show off his colors for tours and for his ladies. Female turkeys (Hens) also have a wattle and snood, however they are much smaller in size and do not change color. 
  • Turkey diets: Turkeys have been bred to put on weight very fast since they are slaughtered at such a young age. This is why diet is very important when it comes to keeping a turkey healthy and happy. The care team works with our avian vets to ensure that we are feeding them the correct amount of pellet grain that has essential vitamins, minerals, and protein for bodily functions. They also receive plenty of vegetables such as kale, zucchini, cucumber, squash, etc. They will get some fruit in moderation, but it is very important to keep their sugar intake low to limit the amount of fat they put on. 
  • Turkey genetics: Even with all the proper care some breeds of turkey, especially the broad-breasted white, develop chronic health issues that can only be treated with supportive care. Due to the fact that most turkeys are bred to only live for a few short months, it is fairly common for them to develop arthritis, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions. 
  • Factory farming vs sanctuary lifespan: Turkeys have the ability to live up to 10 years with the correct diet and care, however, turkeys used for factory farming will be slaughtered anywhere between 5-6 months


Care Highlight
Matilda’s Story: Overcoming foot surgery and a toe amputation 
What started as a common case of bumble, quickly turned into a life-saving surgery. Back in April of this year, it was noted by the care team that Matilda had developed bumble on the bottom of her right foot. Bumblefoot is a common infection that happens in large breed birds due to their size and weight distribution. Normally the care team can treat this at the sanctuary with wrap changes, however, Matilda’s immune system was not able to fight off the infection so it spread into two of her toes. As soon as it was noticed by the care team that her foot was not improving we brought her into our avian vet. Before Matilda could have surgery the care team had to make sure she was stable enough to endure the surgery. This included giving her antibiotics and pain medications, tube feeding, and subcutaneous fluids. Once she was stable enough for surgery, our avian vet was able to amputate her infected toes and cut away any dead tissue. The time after Matilda’s surgery was even more critical to her recovery. Once she was cleared to come home, she had to stay in the sanctuary’s medical barn so she had a clean environment. The care team continued to tube-feed her until she was eating enough on her own to maintain her body weight. She also received pain medication, antibiotics, and digestive enzymes to help with crop health. She also had to go in weekly for special bandage changes and rechecks. She now only has a small wrap on her foot and is living a comfortable life with her chicken friend Opal. The care team is working to slowly integrate her back in with her family since it has been a while since they have seen her. She will still be monitored closely because it is always a possibility her foot could become reinfected, but we are all enjoying seeing our girl happy and healthy again.


Enrichment Highlight
Clicker Play for Enrichment and Cooperative Care
Clicker Play is an engaging enrichment tool that enhances our residents’ lives. It uses a clicker sound to signal and reinforce desired behaviors, creating an enjoyable and interactive learning experience.
Here’s how Clicker Play works:

1. Observe a behavior.
2. Click to signal the desired behavior.
3. Reward the behavior.

This approach enables us to teach various behaviors, from targeting objects to spinning in circles and supporting our residents in cooperative care. Our goal is to encourage specific actions while fostering positive, enriching interactions that enhance their overall well-being.
Our turkey residents, including Chamomile, actively participate in Clicker Play. For example, Chamomile loves it when her clicker play partner Jess comes to spend quality time with her. She is one of our more social turkeys, so this time is crucial for her to get that needed one-on-one time and mental stimulation. She also loves to show off all she knows to groups of people!

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