Farm Owners Say 7,000 Turkeys Killed In Fire Not 'Crowded, Crammed, Abused'
LANCASTER (CBS) – The owners of Bob's Turkey Farm in Lancaster are defending how they housed their turkeys a day after the farm lost 7,000 baby birds in a massive fire.
The fire ripped through a barn at the Old Common Road farm Thursday afternoon. No people were hurt.
Among the 7,000 turkeys that were killed, about 2,600 had just hatched Thursday morning.
"It's just an overall loss that I'm not sure can be recovered," Bob Van Hoof's granddaughter, Jennifer Miner said.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the farm said people had expressed confusion over why so many young turkeys were living in one area.
"They are not 'crowded,' 'crammed,' or abused," the post reads. "They are cuddling, keeping warm and socializing, as they need to in order to grow and live happy/healthy lives."
To clear up any confusion, the Facebook post included two photos that show a large number of young turkeys living comfortably in the barn before it went up in flames.
It is not yet clear what caused the fire, but the state fire marshal's office said Friday that it "appears accidental."
"The negative comments and cruelty are not welcomed and we are heartbroken that we even have to address things like this," Bob's Turkey Farm posted. "These animals are not just how we pay the bills- they are our passion and to suggest anything else is just ignorant."
