K-STATE EXPERT OFFERS TURKEY TIDBITS

MANHATTAN -- The image of the golden-brown feathered turkey we associate with Thanksgiving is not the turkey you're likely to find on the farm. R. Scott Beyer, extension poultry specialist at Kansas State University, shares some facts about turkeys.

* Birds of a different feather. The turkey in the wild is a bronze-colored turkey, while commercially grown turkeys have white feathers.

* Jumping turkeys? Wild turkeys can fly somewhat, but commercial turkeys cannot fly at all. However, commercial turkeys have very strong leg muscles and are excellent jumpers.

* Poultry poundage. Commercial turkeys are much bigger than wild turkeys. Some of the males used for breeding can weigh up to 85 pounds.

* 'Fraidy birds. Turkeys have the strange habit of "piling." If the sound of a plane or other loud noise frightens them, they might crowd along a fence, climbing on top of each other. Most commercial turkeys are now raised inside, and piling is one reason why.

* Bird brains. Many people think turkeys are dumber than chickens or vice versa. Beyer says there is no way to assess this, but if an unfamiliar person approaches a group of turkeys, the turkeys will come up and gather around the newcomer. Chickens will not approach people and will try to avoid people if they can. "So maybe turkeys, you might think, are more inquisitive and are trying to learn more -- I don't know," Beyer says.

* Turkey tales. A common story is that turkeys will look skyward during a rainstorm causing them to inhale water and drown. Beyer said this, and other turkey myths, have come about because turkeys are more difficult to raise than other poultry. Turkeys grow more rapidly, live longer and are more susceptible to disease than other farm birds, so there is more opportunity for things to go wrong. A lot of people attribute the difficulty in raising turkeys to these stories.

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November 1998