Just like his brothers and his sister Cinnamon, Chicky was very tiny when he arrived, and had recently been debeaked. This standard agribusiness practice, which painfully removes a portion of the beak with a hot blade to prevent crowded and stressed birds from pecking, had left Chicky and his siblings bloody, dehydrated, and limp. Chickens and turkeys commonly die as a result of this mutilation, but we were determined to help these youngsters escape that fate. Caregivers treated the birds’ injured beaks and set up a cozy nursery to keep the chicks safe and warm while they recovered.

Now, Chicky is all grown up, and just keeps growing! Like all factory turkeys, he was once valued only for his meat and so was bred to grow very large, very quickly. Many turkeys suffer as a result of their unnatural weight. Often their organs and skeletal systems cannot support the bulk of their bodies, and they become susceptible to heart disease, as well as degenerative bone and joint conditions in their legs. Thankfully, Chicky is doing just fine, and is enjoying his comfortable, care-free life here at Farm Sanctuary, grateful to be alive and surrounded by friends.

Chicky spends his sanctuary days in the company of his kind and doting brothers and his little sister. Together, they explore their green pasture, scratch in the dirt, and take naps in the sunshine. Very curious and outgoing, Chicky is always the first to meet new visitors to the farm. He is very talkative with everyone, even folks he has just met, and never misses a chance to show off. Here, Chicky and his friends are living the kind of life every turkey wants to live. Come and visit them and you’ll see, theirs is the kind of life every turkey deserves.