| Turkeys have been around for a long time. | | | | differences are small. |
| Turkey history actually starts millions of years | | | | 2) Turkeys as pets |
| ago. Their fossils have been found in Pleistocene | | | | While most that raise turkeys raise them for |
| deposits which means that they have been | | | | eating, some keep turkeys as a pet. This has |
| around more than twelve thousand years and | | | | been known to destroy their commercial value as |
| their predecessors go back 50 to 60 million years | | | | Thanksgiving dinner. |
| to the Eocene period. Since the modern | | | | And some do both, keep some as a pet while |
| domesticated turkey is a descendant of the Wild | | | | eating the others. There are many different |
| Turkey, it is surmised that ancient Mesoamericans | | | | breeds of turkeys; however there are two |
| had chosen to domesticate this species rather | | | | varieties, domestic and wild. The wild turkey lives |
| than the Ocellated Turkey which is found in far | | | | and breeds in the wild and some are kept as pets. |
| southern Mexico. | | | | It can fly and is said to be smarter than the |
| Turkeys require most of their care and attention | | | | domestic. The domestic turkeys are the type |
| during the first couple months. After this time | | | | eaten on thanksgiving and they cannot fly. The |
| they become much easier to care for. They are | | | | domestic and wild turkeys are physically different. |
| friendly and curious by nature.There are many | | | | Animal welfare groups such as Farm Sanctuary |
| reasons to raise turkeys. | | | | claim that turkeys are bright and social animals |
| 1) Turkeys as food | | | | that can make suitable companion animals. US |
| They are traditionally eaten as the main course of | | | | President George W. Bush noted the long tradition |
| large feasts at Christmas in much of the world, | | | | of keeping turkeys as pets in his 2001 National |
| as well as Thanksgiving in the United States and | | | | Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation speech. Bush |
| Canada, though this tradition has its origins in | | | | noted that Abraham Lincoln's son Tad kept a |
| modern times, rather than colonial as is often | | | | turkey as a White House pet. |
| supposed. Sliced turkey is frequently used as a | | | | 3) Turkeys provide built-in pest control service |
| sandwich meat or served as cold cuts. Ground | | | | They may have the most varied diet of any |
| turkey is sold just as ground beef, and is | | | | animal known. They eat a variety of foods |
| frequently marketed as a healthy beef substitute. | | | | depending on availability, preference, and nutritional |
| Without careful preparation, cooked turkey is | | | | needs. All age classes eat insects when they are |
| usually considered to end up less moist than other | | | | available. In the summer turkeys eat large |
| poultry meats such as chicken or duck. | | | | quantities of insects, grass seeds, berries, and |
| Wild turkeys, while technically the same species as | | | | green leaves. Turkeys eat bugs, mosquitoes, ticks |
| domesticated ones, have a very different taste | | | | and flies too. |
| from farm-raised turkeys. Almost all of the meat | | | | 4) Turkey dung as fuel |
| is "dark" (even the breast) with a more intense | | | | Their droppings are being used as a fuel source in |
| flavor. Turkey is often found as a processed | | | | electric power plants. One such plant in western |
| meat. It can be smoked and as such is | | | | Minnesota provides 55 megawatts of power using |
| sometimes sold as turkey ham. The white meat | | | | 700,000 tons of dung per year. The plant began |
| of turkey is generally considered healthier and less | | | | operating in 2007. Three such plants are in |
| fattening than the dark meat, but the nutritional | | | | operation in England. |