2- Wild turkeys can run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
3- Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey, not the Bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States!
4- A wild turkey has excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees. This is the main reason they continue to elude some hunters.
5- Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days.
6- Israelis eat more turkeys than any other nation, The average is 28 pounds per person.
7- Turkey skins are tanned and used to make cowboy boots and belts.
8- In the year 2001, about 272 million turkeys were raised. We estimate that 46 million of those turkeys were eaten at Thanksgiving, 22 million at Christmas, and 19 million at Easter.
9- Turkey breeding has caused Turkeys' breasts to grow so large that the Turkeys fall over.
10- A 15lb. Turkey consists of 70% white meat and 30% dark meat.
11- Most turkey feathers are composted.
12- Turkeys have been bred to have white feathers. White feathers have no spots under the skin when plucked.
13- Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
14- For their first meal on the moon, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets.
15- Turkey is low in fat and high in protein.
16- 50 percent of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once per week.
17- The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.
18- Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons" it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.
19- June is National Turkey Lover’s Month.
20- Wild turkeys were almost wiped out in the early 1900's. Today there are wild turkeys in every state except Alaska.
21- Wild turkeys spend the night in trees. Oak trees are their favourite for this purpose.
22- Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.
23- Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.
24- Turkeys are related to pheasants.
25- A domesticated male turkey can reach a weight of 30 pounds within 18 weeks after hatching.
26- Turkeys do not see well at night.
27- A large group of turkeys is called a flock.
28- Male turkeys are called gobblers or toms, females are called hens.
29- Males have what is known as a beard, a bristly mass of feathers found on the breast. Immature males, called jakes do not normally have an obvious beard. Bearded birds aren't always males. Sometimes you'll find a female with a beard.
30- Turkeys don’t really have ears like ours, but they have very good hearing.
31- 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.
32- Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day.
Turkey Terms :-
Caruncle - brightly colored growths on the throat region. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.
Gizzard - a part of a bird's stomach that contains tiny stones. It helps them grind up food for digestion.
Hen - a female turkey.
Poult - a baby turkey. A chick.
Snood - the flap of skin that hangs over the turkey's beak. Turns bright red when the turkey is upset or during courtship.
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