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Naddy gets a new set of wheels! |
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You might recall reading
about Naddy, a remaining turkey here at Pasado's. She used
to live with all of the turkeys on the sanctuary grounds. Then, as with
every
other commercially-grown turkey who has been genetically-altered for the
"breast meat"
most consumers want, she became too heavy to walk. Then she began to
fall. That's when she came to live with the co-founders of Pasado's,
where she could be given one-on-one care. We had been carrying Naddy in and out of her little barn every day. On sunny days, she'd be placed on green grass. And when it rained, she'd remain inside since she could not escape the weather on her own. This week, Naddy took the next step in her life. Or rather, her next "roll"! |
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NADDY HOT WHEELS! As you may have read before on this website, "broiler hens" or "turkeys", like Bubba left, stop walking as their skeletal systems and organs grow too weak to support what humans had done to them to breed them for meat. So Mark, our ingenious co-founder, rigs up some special harnesses for them. Mark takes PVC plastic tubes, that most people use for plumbing, and re-configures them into one-of-a-kind wheeled carts, sort of like toddlers use when they're learning how to walk. In a turkey's case, it relieves the pressure of all the weight they carry, allowing them to stand, and even walk! And this week, Naddy
got hers. |
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First, Naddy had a bath.
Mark filled up a tub with warm soapy water. "I made it deep so she sort
of floated. I think she really liked it! She was talking to me as I was
massaging dirt out of her feathers and toes," Mark smiles. Then, after she was clean, he emptied the tub, re-filled with clean water and let her "rinse". She seemed to enjoy all of the attention. |
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Naddy takes her first
steps! Naddy is now living indoors with the co-founders of Pasado's Safe Haven. And, as you might expect, their house is covered in vinyl flooring, making it easy to pick up poop, barf, or any other expected gift from a rescued animal. During the day, left, if
it's not raining, goes
outside in the safe, fenced garden (in her wheels of course) to while
away the days with |
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In the beginning, Naddy
won't understand that she can "move and groove" in her new Hot Wheels,
as she pleases. It takes a bit of time to get used to. As she learns to relax, as other turkeys in the past have demonstrated, she'll become more and more at ease in allowing herself to be suspended. Then, they'll be able to cruise! |
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Naddy gets 3-squares a
day! We've already begun to "tease" Naddy by placing her treats just a few inches too far for her to reach. She's already begun to walk one step, then two, then three. The first day she was in the sling we checked back on her and found her six feet from where we left her! Naddy's menu includes shredded apple, kernel corn and banana. She gets just a little bit of sunflower hearts as they're fattening and the lighter she is, the better for her legs. We'll keep her on this diet until she looses some weight. But ultimately, it's the genetic breeding that will not allow her to shed the pounds. Sadly, there is little we can do to help her. |
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At night, Naddy comes
inside to spend her evenings with dogs and cats, who all could care less
about the new addition to the family. After all, Naddy isn't the first
turkey
who has lived inside. And she won't be the last.
Left, Naddy spends some time with Smitty, a dog rescued from death row. Smitty just went through a (very) expensive TPLO crucia ligament surgery. He tells us he's worth the $3500 vet bill and we believe him! |
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When Naddy goes outside in
the morning, she's always joined first by Eddie.
Pasado's Safe Haven was called by a vet office after someone found Eddie in a park with a broken leg. Eddie loves Naddy. She even reaches out to him to try and figure out how many spots he has covering his body. We're not sure what kind of breed he is. We think it's "American Spotted Cuddle Hound". |
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After a few hours together
Eddie gets a little tired and falls asleep with Naddy. We're so grateful
that it's getting a little warmer out so all the rescued animals can
come outdoors and enjoy each other. So many people are amazed that dogs won't "eat" our birds. We have found that all animals can get along, if taught to respect each other. It's the human animal who can't quite figure out what peace means. Naddy will live out her days probably using her hot wheels to get around, now that she's grown too large to walk on her own. But she'll be loved, just like any other creature with a beating heart, who can feel pain, and joy, andthe friendship of a spotted dog. |
