Elf Mommy wrote:
OK, just realized that this post sounded very insensitive.
I'm glad you're going to be able to give the turkey a new home!
LOL! I read it but didn't give it a second thought!
Around here... well, I'm odd for keeping rabbits as pets because they're a commodity. The *bad* thing about it is it's hard to find ones in need because of the local practices. Pet rabbits are almost unheard of because the ones that become displaced usually endup in "the pot".
I've been wanting to adopt another rabbit ever since losing Fiesta and then Holiday but barring a visit to a local sale... they're harder to come by. At the livestock auctions you can buy live rabbits but usually in bulk only.
Individual meat breeders usually make their money by donations you give them to dress the purchased rabbits from them. While meat breeders cannot sell dressed rabbits they can offer the service to individuals that have their own rabbits to "offer" to be done.
Does that make sense? Due to health regulations Joe Breeder can't take a call saying a person wants to come by and pick up X amount of dressed rabbits BUT if someone were to go to them they'll sell a rabbit for $2 to the person and once the animal belongs to the buyer the breeder can then sell their service upwards of $20 for a single on up depending on quantity.
Very rarely do I hear of anyone buying a pet from a breeder because they usually jack up the purchase price to recover the lost dressing fee.
So, in a nutshell, thats why this individual is so cautious about where his turkey ends up. I'll probably be the laughing stock of the county for even trying to give a home to a disabled turkey. I will though, and do the best I can with her even though from what I'm reading... things may not look too promising in the long run if she can't hold her weight up. At least though I'll explore options for her and she'll be worked with - not "fattened" for the inevitable.
