Tristram

Male turkeys are called ‘Stags’, they are polygamous, and attract the female’s attention (the hen) by fanning out their tail feathers and expanding their wattles on their head and neck.

Turkeys are in the Meleagrididae family, though some scientists feel it may belong to the Phasianidae family, along with pheasants, peacocks and jungle fowl (from which our hens come).

Turkeys were originally discovered in North, South and Central America, and were first domesticated in Mexico, from where they were imported into Europe in the 16th Century.

Male turkeys are called ‘Stags’, they are polygamous, and attract the female’s attention (the hen) by fanning out their tail feathers and expanding their wattles on their head and neck.

Female turkeys lay 9-12 eggs that are cream in colour with red dots on them. The incubation period is 28 days. The small turkeys, or ‘poults’ are able to fend for themselves from the second day of their lives, as they are born with their fluffy coat on and can run straight away.

Domestic turkeys in this country are all bred white in colour, as their meat is more popular with white feather stubs in rather than the black stubs left in bronze turkeys. The whole white flock has been bred from one albino.

Turkeys were grown for the Christmas trade at Moat House Farm from 1961- 1972. They take 18-24 weeks to reach marketable weight. Up to 1500 were kept here.