- The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of
a large dog.
- A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent
dark meat.
- The male turkey is called a tom.
- The female turkey is called a hen.
- The turkey was domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe in the
16th century.
- Turkeys' heads change colors when they become excited.
- Turkeys can see movement almost a hundred yards away.
- Turkeys lived almost ten million years ago.
- Turkey feathers were used by Native Americans to stabilize arrows.
- Baby turkeys are called poults and are tan and brown.
- Turkey eggs are tan with brown specks and are larger than chicken
eggs.
- It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.
- Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.
- A 16 week old turkey is called a fryer. A five to seven month old
turkey is called a young roaster and a yearling is a year old. Any turkey
15 months or older is called mature.
- Turkeys don't really have ears like ours, but they have very good
hearing.
- Turkeys can see in color.
- A large group of turkeys is called a flock.
- Turkeys do not see well at night.
- A domesticated male turkey can reach a weight of 30 pounds within
18 weeks after hatching.
- Turkeys are related to pheasants.
- Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.
- Turkeys have heart attacks.
- Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
- Turkeys have been bred to have white feathers. White feathers have
no spots under the skin when plucked.
- Most turkey feathers are composted.
- Turkey skins are tanned and used to make cowboy boots and belts.
- Turkeys have a long, red, fleshy area called a snood that grows from
the forehead over the bill.
- The fleshy growth under a turkey's throat is called a wattle.
- Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days.
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