The traditional turkey you will eat on Thanksgiving Day has a colorful history. Whereas most of today’s turkeys are of the white species and bear little resemblance to the original bronze turkeys, they’re still cousins of the true wild turkey.
Turkeys are distinctively American, native only to the North America continent. There are several theories on where the name turkey comes from. One is that the bird resembles a bird found in Turkey, and thus the name turkey. The other theory is that because turkeys make a call that sounds like turk-turk-turk, the turkey name followed. Regardless of where they got their name, turkeys are one of America’s most fascinating birds.
When the first settlers arrived in this country they found wild turkeys by the thousands. In fact, wild turkeys were part of the first Thanksgiving Day meal. Actually, the settlers where already familiar with domesticated turkeys because the Spanish conquerors had discovered that the natives in Mexico had already domesticated wild turkeys. The Spaniards took some of the tame birds back to Europe where they became a popular farm bird. In fact, the early settlers brought the domesticated birds back to America in 1620.
The ballroom dance the “Turkey Trot” was named for the short, jerky steps that turkeys take. Turkeys are believed to have been brought to Britain in 1526 by Yorkshire man William Strickland. He acquired six turkeys from American Indian traders and sold them in Bristol. Two-hundred years ago in England, turkeys were walked to market in herds and they wore booties to protect their feet. Turkeys also were walked to market in the United States. Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President of the United States. The President does not eat the live turkey. He pardons it and allows it to live out its days on a farm. Modern domesticated turkeys have been bred to have white feathers. White feathers have no spots under the skin when plucked, which makes them look more appealing.
While domesticated turkeys are often considered to be one of the dumbest animals on earth, it’s just the opposite for their wild cousins. They are considered to be one of the wariest birds in the woods. They have excellent eyesight, can outrun a dog and fly like a pheasant. In fact, Benjamin Franklin once proposed that the wild turkey be our national bird because of the bird’s superior intelligence and the significance placed on it during the early history of this country.
In comparison to the domesticated birds — that often attain weights of over 30 pounds — the wild turkey rarely weighs more than 20 pounds, most weighing between 10-17 pounds. The heaviest turkey on record weighed 86 pounds. In the wild, turkeys can live as long as 20 years but all the domesticate turkeys in the supermarkets are less than six months old
A look at the turkey that will grace the Thanksgiving Day table is vastly different from the wild turkey. Whereas tame turkeys have large plump breasts and short legs, the wild turkey has a v-shaped breast and long legs. The wild bird is also much leaner and the legs tougher.
Most supermarket turkeys are of the white species called Broad Breasted White. They are bred for tenderness and over 280 million are raised in this country annually. They are ready for the table after only 18 weeks and California is considered one of the leading states in turkey production. More than 48 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving Day.
While most holiday tables will feature the domesticated turkeys, there are a few Americans who traditionally serve the wild bird. In fact, many people prefer the wild bird because it has less fat and is more healthy.
The wild turkey deserves a special place in history. Without this noble animal there would be no holiday birds and the good part is that it is truly American and a fitting tribute to Thanksgiving Day.
