Birds

Geese are brilliant animals who are exceptional observational learners. Goslings observe their parents closely to learn how to survive and socialize. Amazingly, geese are capable of communicating with swans and ducks despite the language barrier, and they can even learn each other's vocalizations to improve communications. Geese are also great at bonding with humans and discerning which they can trust and which to avoid. There are stories of geese bonding with human children, parting during migration season, and then returning and recognizing that same human five years in the future! 

Geese suffer immensely in the down industry. These innocent creatures are plucked alive for their feathers, causing immense pain and terrible wounds. Workers often sit on the animals' necks to hold them still for plucking. At the end of their lives, down industry geese are often sent to slaughter for meat. 

 

 

Jerald the Goose

Jerald was rescued from the dinner table along with his pal Thomas, and the two luxuriated in one another's company until Thomas' passing in July 2014. Although Jerald misses his best friend dearly, he has been enjoying the friendship of yet another Thomas, that being Tom Laker his turkey neighbor, as well as the visits from the friendly group of wild turkeys that frequent Tom's quarters.

 

Tom Laker the Turkey - Sadly Departed

Tom Laker is a beauty, isn't he? He knows it, too. Sir Laker is one of the proudest of our residents, and can usually be seen strutting triumphantly around his grounds. Tom would like everyone to know that he was always destined for greater things than Thanksgiving dinner, and is very appreciative to receive the respect he deserves at Wedrose Acres. Most recently, Tom has befriended a group of wild turkeys who like to come by his house and chit chat, and he immensely enjoys hearing the stories of their adventures.

"Majestic" is the perfect adjective to describe turkeys. Benjamin Franklin was so in awe of turkeys that he called them "birds of courage" and believed that they should be the national bird of the United States. Individual turkeys have absolutely unique personalities and form intricate social bonds with one another. Turkeys are also very affectionate creatures, and mothers raise their chicks closely for five months. Turkeys can identify one another by their voices and have more than twenty communicative vocalizations. 

On today's factory farms, turkeys are made to grow abnormally large and unnaturally fast. They suffer painfully from their unhealthy breeding and living conditions. Standard industry practice involves slicing off the ends of their beaks, which are filled with sensitive nerve-endings, and confining them to unimaginably small cages.