Read Harmony's Story ^{(In Memoriam)}

Harmony was rescued from Thanksgiving in October 2023. As soon as we met her, we knew that her time with us would be short. She was obese. Turkeys are genetically engineered to get very big very fast so they can go to slaughter at only 12 weeks old. At such a young age, Harmony was already bigger than most adult turkeys. Being abnormally large takes a toll on mobility and the respiratory system.Every day that Harmony was at The Gentle Barn, we fed her organic produce, organic seeds, gave her lots of time to exercise and explore in the yard, allowed her to spend her days and nights with her Avian family, and on open Sundays, and during tours, Harmony hosted Turkey cuddle therapy sessions, where she fell asleep in people’s laps, brought them to tears, open their hearts to the affection and magic of turkeys, and made them feel wanted, lovable and valued.Unfortunately, as predicted, Harmony did not make it to her third birthday. She started having trouble breathing, we took her to the Avian hospital, where X Rays showed her lungs compromised. Having little room to breathe, and not wanting her to suffer, the veterinarians urged us to help her out of her body. With our arms around her, whispering thanks in her ear, she took her last breath peacefully.In Harmony’s memory, we will forever tell her story to allow people to choose compassion over eating, knowledge over denial, and to inspire people to be more gentle to turkeys everywhere.