NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Domesticated turkey

The domesticated turkey is a large poultry bird raised for food. The modern domesticated turkey descends from the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), one of the two species of turkey (genus Meleagris); however, in the past the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) was also domesticated. Despite the name, turkeys have no relation to the country of Turkey and are native to North America. Ducks amongst other poultry The Poultry-dealer, after Cesare Vecellio Poultry is the category of domesticated birds kept for meat, eggs, and feathers. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Wild Turkey (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Meleagris ocellata Cuvier, 1820 Distribution map The Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is a large bird around 70-90 cm long and 3 kg (female) to 4 kg (male) weight. ... North American redirects here. ...

The turkey is reared throughout temperate parts of the world, and is a popular form of poultry, partially because industrialised farming has made it very cheap for the amount of meat it produces. The female domesticated turkey is referred to as a hen and the chick as a poult. In the United States, the male is referred to as a tom, whilst in Europe, the male is a stag. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

The great majority of domesticated turkeys have white feathers, although brown or bronze-feathered varieties are also raised. The fleshy protuberance attached to the underside of the beak is known as a "wattle".

History

Since the modern domesticated turkey is a descendant of the Wild Turkey, it is surmised that ancient Mesoamericans had chosen to domesticate this species rather than the Ocellated Turkey which is found in far southern Mexico. The Aztecs relied on the turkey (Mexican Spanish guajolote, from Nahuatl huexolotl) as a major source of protein (meat and eggs), and also utilized its feathers extensively for decorative purposes, as did many other Mesoamerican cultures. The turkey was associated with their trickster god Tezcatlipoca,^[1] perhaps because of its humorous behavior, an aspect which it has retained up to the present. In Mexico today, turkey meat with mole sauce (mole de guajolote) is widely regarded as the unofficial national dish.^[2] Turkeys from http://www. ... Turkeys from http://www. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For the Spanish language as spoken in Mexico, see Mexican Spanish. ... Tezcatlipoca as depicted in the Codex Borgia. ... Mole (MOH-leh, IPA: /Ëˆmo. ...

Turkeys were taken to Europe by the Spanish who had found them as a favorite domesticated animal among the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples. After being introduced to Europe many distinct turkey breeds were developed due to cross breeding (e.g. Spanish Black, Royal Palm). Turkey was one of the many game species hunted by early American colonists and is thought to have been served at the first Thanksgiving, although there is little evidence to support this claim. Most likely, venison and/or duck was served at the first thanksgiving. In the midwestern United States in the mid to late 1800s, domestic turkeys were actually herded across the range in a manner similar to herding cattle.^{[citation needed]} In the early 20th century, many advances were made in the breeding of turkeys resulting in varieties such as the Beltsville Small White. The word Aztec is usually used as a historical term, although some contemporary Nahuatl speakers would consider themselves Aztecs. ... For other uses, see Thanksgiving (disambiguation). ... Beltsville is a census-designated place located in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ...

Suggestions have been made that the Mexican Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) might also be involved, but the plumage as well as DNA analysis of domestic turkeys does not support this theory; in particular, the chest tuft of domestic turkeys is a clear indicator of descent from the Wild Turkey (the Ocellated Turkey does not have this tuft).^{[citation needed]} Binomial name Meleagris ocellata Cuvier, 1820 Distribution map The Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is a large bird around 70-90 cm long and 3 kg (female) to 4 kg (male) weight. ...

Availability and commercial production

Prior to World War II, turkey was something of a luxury in Britain, with goose or beef a more common Christmas dinner (In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Bob Cratchit had a goose before Scrooge bought him a turkey). Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Geese redirects here. ... For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Dickens redirects here. ... For other uses, see A Christmas Carol (disambiguation). ... Bob Cratchit is a very thin and short fictional character in the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. ... Ebenezer Scrooge encounters Ignorance and Want in Dickenss novel, A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. ...

Turkey production in Britain was centred on East Anglia with two breeds, the Norfolk Black and the Norfolk Bronze (also known as Cambridge Bronze). These would be driven as flocks, after shoeing, down to markets in London from the 17th century onwards - the breeds arriving in the early 16th century via Spain (1500).^[3] Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... Norfolk (IPA: //) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Intensive farming of turkeys from the late 1940s, however, dramatically cut the price and it became far and away the most common Christmas dinner meat. With the availability of refrigeration, whole turkeys could be shipped frozen to distant markets. Later advances in control of disease increased production even more. Advances in shipping, changing consumer preferences and the proliferation of commercial poultry plants for butchering animals has made fresh turkey available to the consumer. Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the high inputs of capital or labour relative to land area. ... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ...

In the UK Bernard Matthews is a name synonymous with turkey production and the largest single producer in the world. The dominant commercial breed is the White (also known as "White Holland") which are large birds with lots of meat but too large to achieve natural fertilization. Bernard Matthews is a food processing company headquartered in Norwich, Norfolk, with 57 farms throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire [1]. They produce and market turkey and other meat products, oven-ready turkeys, day-old turkeys, fish products and other poultry products. ...

Waste products

Approximately two to four billion pounds of poultry feathers are produced every year by the poultry producing industry. Most of the feathers are usually ground up and used as filler for animal feed. Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have patented a method of removing the stiff quill from the fibers which make up the feather. As this is a potential untapped supply of natural fibers, research has been conducted at Philadelphia University to determine textile applications for feather fibers. To date, turkey feather fibers have been blended with nylon and spun into yarn which was then used for knitting. The yarns were tested for strength while the fabrics were evaluated as potential insulation materials. In the case of the yarns, as the percentage of turkey feather fibers increased the strength decreased. In fabric form, as the percentage of turkey feather fibers increased the heat retention capability of the fabric increased. USDA redirects here. ... A quill pen is made from a flight feather (preferably a primary) of a large bird, most often a goose. ... Yarn Spools of thread Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. ... For the record label, see Knitting Factory. ...

Breeding

Intelligence

Turkeys are popularly believed to be unintelligent birds with claims made that during a rain storm a turkey will look up into the sky until they drown. Despite this image, the turkey is no more or less intelligent than a comparable animal,^[4] and while the birds will look at the sky for up to a minute during a rain storm, this is due to a genetic nervous disorder known as tetanic torticollar spasms.^[4] Other criticisms include the bird being 'too dumb' to realize it can't fly, and perceptions about the bird being awkward, both traits being due to the breeding of modern turkeys to be much heavier than their wild relatives to provide more meat for human meals.^[4] Benjamin Franklin regarded the turkey as a noble bird and preferred it to the eagle as the proposed symbol for the new United States, describing it as a "Bird of Courage."^[5]

Turkey breeds

The average lifespan of a breeding tom is 64 weeks. Between the hen and the tom, the tom is the only one that "gobbles". The Broad-breasted White is commercially the most widely-used breed of domesticated turkey. ... President Truman is presented with a turkey National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Red Bourbon is a breed of turkey with white feathers at its wing tips and tail, and brownish burgundy feathers covering most of the rest of its body. ... Norfolk (IPA: //) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... There are currently eight breeds of domestic turkeys recognized by the American Poultry Association. ...

Turkeys as food

Turkeys are traditionally eaten as the main course of large feasts at Christmas in much of the world, as well as Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, though this tradition has its origins in modern times, rather than colonial as is often supposed. In fact, before the 20th century, pork ribs were the most commonly consumed food on the holiday, as the animals were usually slaughtered in November. Turkeys were once so abundant in the wild that they were eaten throughout the year, the food considered commonplace, whereas pork ribs were rarely available outside of the Thanksgiving-New Year holiday season.^[6] It has also displaced, to a certain extent, the traditional Christmas roast goose or beef of Britain and Europe. While eating turkey was once mainly restricted to special occasions such as these, turkey is now eaten year-round and forms a regular part of many diets. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 Ã— 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2048 Ã— 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... For other uses, see yule log (disambiguation) A chocolate yule log. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Thanksgiving (disambiguation). ... Geese redirects here. ... For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation). ...

In countries where turkey is popular, it is available commonly in supermarkets. Turkeys are sold sliced and ground, as well as "whole" in a manner similar to chicken with the head, feet, and feathers removed. Frozen whole turkeys remain popular. Sliced turkey is frequently used as a sandwich meat or served as cold cuts. Ground turkey is sold just as ground beef, and is frequently marketed as a healthy beef substitute. Without proper preparation, turkey is usually considered to end up less moist than, for example, chicken or duck. Leftovers from roast turkey are generally served as cold cuts on Boxing Day. In Israel, turkey, rather than lamb is usually the choice meat used to make shawarma. Packaged food aisles in a Fred Meyer store in Portland, Oregon A supermarket is a departmentalized self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the food item. ... Cold Cuts was the third live album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Aythyinae Merginae Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae family of birds. ... For English DJ duo, see Coldcut. ... Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. ... Chicken shawarma in Hama, Syria Shawarma (Arabic: , â€Ž, also spelled Chawarma, Shwarma, Shuarma, Shawerma, Shoarma or Shaorma) is a Middle Eastern-style sandwich usually composed of shaved lamb, goat, or chicken. ...

Wild turkeys, while technically the same species as domesticated turkeys, have a very different taste from farm-raised turkeys. Almost all of the meat is "dark" (even the breasts) with a more intense turkey flavor. The flavour can also vary seasonally with changes in available forage, often leaving wild turkey meat with a more significant game flavour in late summer due to the greater number of insects in the diet over the preceding months. Wild turkey that has fed predominantly on grass and grain has a far milder flavour. Older heritage breeds also differ in flavor.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1939 Ã— 1454 pixel, file size: 680 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographer: Patrick Fitzgerald from Atlanta, GA, USA Title: Thanksgiving Turkey Description: Just practicing for the main event. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1939 Ã— 1454 pixel, file size: 680 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographer: Patrick Fitzgerald from Atlanta, GA, USA Title: Thanksgiving Turkey Description: Just practicing for the main event. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Thanksgiving (disambiguation). ...

Turkey is often found as a processed meat. It can be smoked and as such is sometimes sold as turkey ham. Twisted helices of deep fried turkey meat sold as turkey twizzlers came to prominence in the UK in 2004 when chef Jamie Oliver campaigned to have them and similar foods removed from school dinners. This article is about the TV chef. ... A school dinner is a meal (dinner or lunch) provided to students at a school. ...

Cooking

Both fresh and frozen turkeys are used for cooking; as with most foods, fresh turkeys are generally preferred, although they cost more. Around holiday seasons, high demand for fresh turkeys often makes them difficult to purchase without ordering in advance. For the frozen variety, the large size of the turkeys typically used for consumption makes defrosting them a major endeavour: a typically-sized turkey will take several days to properly defrost. Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... For other uses, see Holiday (disambiguation). ...

Turkeys are usually baked or roasted in an oven for several hours, often while the cook prepares the rest of the meal. Sometimes, a turkey is brined before roasting to enhance flavor and moisture content. This is necessary because the dark meat cooks more slowly than the white meat, so that fully cooking the dark meat tends to dry out the breast. Brining makes it possible to fully cook the dark meat without drying the breast meat. Turkeys are sometime decorated with turkey frills prior to serving. Some examples of baked food. ... â€œRoastâ€ redirects here. ... In cooking, brining is a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. ... Turkey Frills are paper frills or booties that are placed on the end of turkey or other poultry drumsticks. ...

In some areas, particularly the American South, they may also be deep fried in hot oil (often peanut oil) for 30 to 45 minutes by using a turkey fryer. Deep frying turkey has become something of a fad, with hazardous consequences for those unprepared to safely handle the large quantities of hot oil required.^[7] The U.S. Southern states or the South, also known colloquially as Dixie, constitute a distinctive region covering a large portion of the United States, with its own unique heritage, historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... A Deep-fried Twinkie Deep-frying is a cooking method whereby food is submerged in hot oil or fat. ... A bottle of peanut oil Peanut oil is an organic oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the slight aroma and taste of its parent legume. ... A Turkey Fryer A turkey fryer is an apparatus for deep frying a turkey. ... For other uses, see FAD (disambiguation). ...

Nutritional value

Turkey is generally considered healthier and less fattening than red meat.^{[citation needed]} Turkey is high in tryptophan, and is commonly credited with causing sleepiness after a meal; however, this is largely a misconception. Turkey dinners are commonly large meals served with carbohydrates, fats, and alcohol in a relaxed atmosphere, all of which are bigger contributors to post-meal sleepiness than the tryptophan in turkey.^[8]^[9] Lactose is a disaccharide found in milk. ... Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the digestive system, absorbing water and making defecation easier. ... In chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid often with a long unbranched aliphatic tail (chain), which is either saturated or unsaturated. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin showing coloured alpha helices. ... Thiamine mononitrate Thiamine or thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is a colorless compound with chemical formula C12H17ClN4OS. It is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. ... Riboflavin (E101), also known as vitamin B2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in animals. ... Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin whose derivatives such as NADH, NAD, NAD+, and NADP play essential roles in energy metabolism in the living cell and DNA repair. ... Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5 (a B vitamin), is a water-soluble vitamin required to sustain life (essential nutrient). ... Pyridoxine Pyridoxal phosphate Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. ... Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing human fetus. ... This article is about the nutrient. ... For other uses, see Calcium (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ... Introduction Magnesium is an essential element in biological systems. ... General Name, symbol, number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 15, 3, p Appearance waxy white/ red/ black/ colorless Standard atomic weight 30. ... General Name, symbol, number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, period, block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Standard atomic weight 39. ... General Name, symbol, number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all (97â€“98%) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group. ... Tryptophan (abbreviated as Trp or W)[1] is one of the 20 standard amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, and an essential amino acid in the human diet. ...

Accompaniments

When eaten at Christmas in Britain, turkey is traditionally served with winter vegetables including roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips. Cranberry sauce is the traditional condiment in the northern rural areas of Britain where wild cranberries grow. In the south and in urban areas, where cranberries until recently were difficult to obtain, bread sauce was used in its place, but the availability of commercial cranberry sauce has seen a rise in its popularity in these areas too. Sometimes sausagemeat, cocktail sausages or liver wrapped in bacon is also served (known as bacon rolls or "pigs in blankets"). For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Potato (disambiguation). ... The Brussels sprout (Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group) is a cultivar group of Wild Cabbage cultivated for its small (typically 2. ... Binomial name Pastinaca sativa L. The parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a root vegetable related to the carrot. ... â€œCranberriesâ€ redirects here. ... A bread sauce is a warm or cold sauce thickened with bread. ... â€œCranberriesâ€ redirects here. ... Some of the many varieties of Sausages A sausage consists of ground meat and other animal parts, herbs and spices, and possibly other ingredients, generally packed in a casing (traditionally the intestines of the animal), and preserved in some way. ... For the bird, see Liver bird. ... Pigs in blankets is the name of a few different foods in the US and UK. Pigs in blankets is a colloquial British name given to chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon (streaky bacon is most common). ...

Especially during holiday seasons, stuffing is traditionally served with turkey. There are many varieties: oatmeal, chestnut, sage and onion (flavoured bread), and sausage (possibly with mashed potato) are the most traditional. Stuffing may either be used to stuff the turkey (as the name implies), or may be cooked separately and served as a side dish. In cooking, stuffing is usually a mixture of various ingredients used to fill a cavity in another food item. ... In the United States and Canada, oatmeal means any crushed oats, rolled oats, or cut oats used in recipes such as oatmeal cookies. ... Species Castanea alnifolia - Bush Chinkapin* Castanea crenata - Japanese Chestnut Castanea dentata - American Chestnut Castanea henryi - Henrys Chestnut Castanea mollissima - Chinese Chestnut Castanea ozarkensis - Ozark Chinkapin Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chinkapin Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut Castanea seguinii - Seguins Chestnut * treated as a synonym of by many authors Chestnut is a... Binomial name L. Painting from Koehlers Medicinal Plants (1887) Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a small evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. ... For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... This article is about the prepared meat. ... Mashed potatoes. ...

For Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, turkey is traditionally served with cranberry sauce and gravy. Other items vary, but common complementary dishes include mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, various vegetables (such as corn, green beans, squash, and sweet potatoes), and various types of pie for dessert (such as pumpkin, apple and pecan). One humorous decades-old Thanksgiving tradition in the United States is the annual Presidential "pardon" of a selected turkey, which meets the President and then is taken to a petting zoo instead of a slaughterhouse. For other uses, see Thanksgiving (disambiguation). ... â€œCranberriesâ€ redirects here. ... For other uses, see Gravy (disambiguation). ... Species - hubbard squash, buttercup squash - cushaw squash - butternut squash - most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash References: ITIS 22365 2002-11-06 Hortus Third Squashes are four species of the genus Cucurbita, also called pumpkins and marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. ... Binomial name (L.) Lam. ... Pumpkin pie Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin pie is a traditional North American dessert usually made in the late fall and early winter, especially for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. ... For the manga anthology series, see Petit Apple Pie. ... A slice of pecan pie Pecan Pie is also a 2002 short movie starring Jim Carrey and written/directed by Michel Gondry. ... President Truman is presented with a turkey National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation is a ceremony that takes place at the White House every year. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas US Government Portal For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... A petting zoo (often called, and/or part of, a childrens zoo) features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. ...

Turkeys in culture

Norman Rockwell featured a roast turkey as a symbol of prosperity in his painting "Freedom from Want", one of his Four Freedom Series. Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 â€“ November 8, 1978) was a 20th century American painter. ... The Four Freedoms are goals famously articulated by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the State of the Union Address he delivered to the 77th United States Congress on January 6, 1941. ... Norman Rockwell set about creating illustrations of President Franklin D. Roosevelts Four Freedoms that everyone could understand. ...

Turkeys as companion animals

Some animal welfare groups, such as Farm Sanctuary say that turkeys each have unique personalities and make wonderful companions. They are especially noted for their curious natures, pleasant talkativeness and love of roaming and discovery. Farm Sanctuarys shelter in upstate New York. ...

Turkey dung for fuel

Turkey droppings are being used as a fuel source in electric power plants. One such plant in western Minnesota provides 55 megawatts of power using 700,000 tons of dung per year. The plant began operating in 2007.^[10] Three such plants are in operation in England.^[11]

Contents

History

Availability and commercial production

Waste products

Breeding

Intelligence

Turkey breeds

Turkeys as food

Cooking

Nutritional value

Accompaniments

Turkeys in culture

Turkeys as companion animals

Turkey dung for fuel

See also

Footnotes

External links

Contents

History var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Availability and commercial production

Waste products

Breeding

Intelligence

Turkey breeds

Turkeys as food

Cooking

Nutritional value

Accompaniments

Turkeys in culture

Turkeys as companion animals

Turkey dung for fuel

See also

Footnotes

External links

History