Animal Kindness
by TinaVolpe
Thelma and Beauty
The animals I am lucky enough to share my life with – never cease to amaze me with the kindness they show to one another. Of course there is the occasional misunderstanding, or pecking order disagreement, but generally the chickens, turkeys, ducks, peacocks and all of the others are simply amazing in the love and kindness, even empathy – shown to one another.
The photo that is attached shows Thelma, one of the turkey’s I have adopted, and Beauty, an older Rhode Island Red chicken who has been with me her entire life…
Beauty is getting old by chicken standards, and it shows it in her walk - a slight limp and a very slow methodical manner of getting around is what can be seen from the outside. She is very trusting and sweet, and comes to humans for pets on occasion. She sometimes gets picked on by the younger chickens. But, Thelma is having none of that. She actually sits next to Beauty, sometimes covering her with a wing in a protective pose and when anyone comes around to touch Beauty’s food or thinks about picking on her, Thelma puts herself between Beauty and the other animal. When I see this, it displays love in a fashion that I wish I knew more of in this world.
Thelma passes up some of the treats I throw outside, something that most fowl will never do, in order to stay close to Beauty. It is astonishing how kind and gentle turkeys are, it took me awhile to realize they were such loving, kind and gentle beings. They have always been aloof, even to me, who raised them as babies, but to take on an older chicken to protect is beyond any kindness or empathy I would’ve imagined from a turkey. One of the “labeled” creatures for being the least intelligent. There is no stupidity in any turkey I have ever known. In fact, I’ve known more unintelligent human beings.
I am continually amazed at turkeys. They move in a slow and steady manner, never getting ruffled or excited, unless threatened by a peacock or an aggressive rooster, and even then, they perk up their feathers, show a little strength, and go on their merry way. Not ever have I seen a turkey actually attack or try to harm another animal who lives on this farm.
In the mornings when I open the pen to allow them their freedom, they are graceful and excited to be free and enthusiastically run toward the feeding area making excited cooing sounds…they usually spend their days dust bathing, picking at plants and grass and are peaceful and quiet creatures.
I cannot imagine ever doing any harm to any of these loving birds. I rescue them, but I would never consider eating them. I imagine what their brothers and sisters, OUR brothers and sisters for that matter are enduring in factory farms and slaughterhouses. These gentle birds constantly suffering makes me very sad. That someone could do harm to another creature who by nature protects older chickens – sickens me. I wish I could save them all.
Instead, I plea to others who do not have the opportunity to know turkeys the way that I do, to take my word – and to please help them too. Start by not eating them. Our food industry is consumer driven. The more of us that refrain from purchasing these beloved animals in those plastic wrapped packages, the more our voices will ring out that we don’t agree with the lives these animals lead.
April 14th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
I love this story!
I too have a hen who is never without one of her friends. I got a small flock “donated” to me recently, one White Leghorn having an injured leg that she can’t put weight on. All these new hens were not raised like mine; they are frightened of human interaction and saw me as anything but a friend (although I’ve noticed they’re coming around now, I think my original hens have helped with that). Anyway, I worried the Leghorn would be picked on and be excluded by the other hens–but no way! She hops in and out of the coop, same as the rest of them, and is offered her share of the feed and water. She is never seen in the yard without at least one hen snuggled up to her, always one of her original flock companions. At night, this Leghorn can’t flutter up to the high perches in the coop of course, so she always has to sleep on the floor. I worried initially about that too, just the loneliness alone could cause her to “move on”. But every night when I do a check, there is a hen snuggled up to her, there on the floor! And it isn’t always the same hen, they seem to rotate through the responsibility. It warms my heart.