topic Re: Wild Turkeys? in Kitchen

Wild Turkeys?

ical — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:42:56 GMT

Wild Turkeys don't look like this:

They look like this (below):

Why don't they have the same colors of feathers and head?

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Meezerpleezer — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:47:59 GMT

Selective breeding?

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Pickwickpapers — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:54:13 GMT

The drakes -male are the red, the neutral are the hens-female. There are many different types of wild turkeys so all are different. My sweetie turkey hunts but wild turkey has a different taste than butterball so it's better fixed as dumplings or stew IMO.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Meezerpleezer — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 01:58:07 GMT

On 10/25/2014 MOM of Mason said: The drakes -male are the red, the neutral are the hens-female. There are many different types of wild turkeys so all are different. My sweetie turkey hunts but wild turkey has a different taste than butterball so it's better fixed as dumplings or stew IMO.

Mom of Mason--I agree with you about the difference between the males and females. I also agree with you about the taste of wild turkey--LOL!

I had thought that the OP was asking why the domesticated turkeys were white with red heads and the wild were brown. I guess I misunderstood.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

brewhaha — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 02:03:51 GMT

They must have a wild time. One can only wonder what goes on after dark. I think I'll have the rump roast.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Snowpuppy — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:02:40 GMT

On 10/25/2014 MOM of Mason said: The drakes -male are the red, the neutral are the hens-female. There are many different types of wild turkeys so all are different. My sweetie turkey hunts but wild turkey has a different taste than butterball so it's better fixed as dumplings or stew IMO.

Wild turkeys are plentiful up here. I used to have a mom and her babies come thru the back of my property every morning and every evening to feed. They were great to watch.

For dinner purposes I'll stick with a Butterball and pass on the gamey taste of wild turkey. The difference in taste is what they're fed on a farm vs in the wild, I'm sure.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

StylishLady — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:21:09 GMT

The wild turkeys had become a nuisance back in central NY. Another idea gone awry. Not sure of their status now.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

shoekitty — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:29:38 GMT

I live in California, and we have wild turkeys on the hill. They don't look like that! The are pretty skinny and brown colored. Maybe it is the draught. They run around like crazy end of September and October.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Sweetbay magnolia — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 03:45:29 GMT

Ben Franklin proposed that the "wild turkey" be the national bird! They have a keen sense of hearing and sight. Instead, we got a scavenger bird, the eagle.

The best wild turkey is 101 proof.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

shoekitty — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 04:20:49 GMT

On 10/25/2014 Sweetbay magnolia said:
Ben Franklin proposed that the "wild turkey" be the national bird! They have a keen sense of hearing and sight. Instead, we got a scavenger bird, the eagle.

best wild turkey is 101 proof.The

Yes, and with a side car of scotch

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Sameolmollysmama — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 11:35:48 GMT

Sad to see the poor things all crammed in there.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

debic — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 12:55:42 GMT

Even farm turkeys all look different. I'll guess those in the top picture are a special breed to produce more meat. My SIL has multiple different kinds and none are white.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

ical — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:51:28 GMT

Thanks for all your replies. I suppose I wasn't clear in my first post with the pictures of the white turkeys and the wild turkeys. This is what I wanted to know:

Why are the turkeys white (top photo), and the wild turkeys are not white?

Are they different turkeys? Or, as someone mentioned (thanks), bred that way? If so, why are they bred to be white (if they are bred that way)?

I wonder too…does this affect flavor? So many turkeys, so little time (for them)!

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Meezerpleezer — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:38:12 GMT

On 10/26/2014 ical said:
Thanks for all your replies. I suppose I wasn't clear in my first post with the pictures of the white turkeys and the wild turkeys. This is what I wanted to know:

Why are the turkeys white (top photo), and the wild turkeys are not white?

Are they different turkeys? Or, as someone mentioned (thanks), bred that way? If so, why are they bred to be white (if they are bred that way)?

I wonder too…does this affect flavor? So many turkeys, so little time (for them)!

Ical--Yes, I think that it does affect the taste. Have you ever eaten a prepared wild turkey? They are tough, chewy like rubber and not very tasty. This is because in the wild, they fly and can really, really run. They use their muscles unlike the farm turkeys. My husband has brought home 2 and we agree, no more. They are horrible.

The white turkeys are bred to have larger breasts and because of the food that they eat, they taste better. Think of wild turkeys eating grubs and bugs versus a farm turkey eating specially prepared food.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

debic — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:43:19 GMT

Turkeys are just like chickens, there are tons of different breeds.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Campion — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 15:07:49 GMT

If you look at the domestic turkey toms, they have reddish, mostly featherless heads, but their skins aren't as dark. Turkeys have those bare heads with wattles. but the wild turkeys are dark birds. I love seeing them in the fall, strutting around the fields. They are HUGE. Once I drove up next to a field and there were 12 of them strutting slowly near the road, not concerned about anything. The tom and his harem of lady turkeys. Quite the sight. No, they aren't good eating, and neither are Canadian geese. Had one once. Never again.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

geezerette — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 15:22:21 GMT

Yes, the domestic turkeys have been selectively bred over the years to appeal to our American palates. For example, a lot of people prefer white breast meat, so those have huge breasts compared to wild turkeys. Although I don't know for sure, I don't believe they were purposely bred to have white feathers for any reason, since I don't think that has anything to do with the meat.

Wild turkeys definitely have a different taste than domestic, bred-for-the-table birds. Much like chickens that are kept in cages and fed a specific diet opposed to those that are free-range.

Turkeys are just like so many other animals we have used for food over the centuries, those that are commercially raised for market are almost completely different than those that are still in the wild.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Snowpuppy — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:08:28 GMT

shoekitty, that photo is a pretty good likeness of what you'll find in both male and female wild turkeys.

The females are smaller and can sometimes look scrawny. Those are good sized mature male "tom" turkeys in that photo as well. They can grow large in the wild. They do "strut" as one poster said and fan out their huge colorful tails when they're hoping to attract females.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

Campion — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:45:34 GMT

More turkey lore. If you don't stuff your turkey full of corn weeks before "der Tag" they are scrawny. I have friends who raise their own food, and one year they did turkey for Thanksgiving. They didn't know about the corn thing, so they fed the birds as usual. The birds were scrawny and tough on the table. The same deal with beef--they go to a feedlot and get corn before they go to the abbatoir, and that fattens them up and they are less tough.

Re: Wild Turkeys?

forrestwolf — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 17:30:55 GMT

White turkeys are bred to have white feathers, as opposed to wild turkeys..........They are also bred to be broad breasted to have more white meat, and thus resulting that domestic turkeys can not fly, like wild turkeys.......Here is a statement from 4-H Ag.....

Domesticated turkeys are bred to have more breast meat, meatier thighs and white feathers. White feathers are preferred so that, when plucked, they leave no unsightly pigment spots under the skin.