Many people don't understand the difference between turkey and turkey. Some believe that these are one and the same thing, others, on the contrary, mean completely different things by these concepts. Some compare a live bird and a cooked dish, others use both words equally. Still others even believe that one of these terms is a description of the women of the indigenous tribes of North America. In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to sexual differences between males and females.
Many people do not understand: turkey and turkey - what is the difference
Differences in words
If we consider this issue from the point of view of meaning, then there is no difference between the words “turkey” and “turkey”. In the explanatory dictionary edited by D.N. Ushakova has two words.
The meanings of the word "turkey" are:
- Female turkey.
- Its meat is like food.
Meaning of the word "Turkey":
- Turkey meat as food.
- In one sense it is the same as turkey.
There is also the word "turkey", which is also turkey meat.
There are two common opinions according to which these names have different shades of meaning:
- It is believed that turkey refers to a live bird, and turkey refers to a cooked dish: turkey is served at the table, and turkey is raised at home.
- Some people believe that the turkey is a wild bird and the gobbler is a domesticated bird.
Supporters of this version insist that these words have different meanings, or even more than one:
- A turkey is a living bird; by the way, this word can most often be heard from older people (the popular name) and especially in rural areas. Turkey, on the other hand, is a dish of meat that is usually roasted whole.
- Wild birds are called turkeys, and domesticated ones are called turkeys.
- Domestic breeders call their breeds “Turkeys.” Most likely, remembering what our ancestors called them. And foreign, especially American, breeds are already called “Turkeys”.
In fact, there is no fundamental difference. Both turkey and gobbler are terms used to refer to a female.
But if the scientific point of view is so important to you, then call the birds turkeys. Keeping in mind that they represent the turkey family.
Tasty and aromatic
As for turkey, this is what is customary to call an already cooked bird . Tender and tasty meat is considered healthy and dietary, and the dish is perfect for a holiday table. In the West, such important holidays as New Year, Christmas and Thanksgiving are unthinkable without this traditional dish. Moreover, they often use a male turkey, due to its large size, to impress a large family or group of friends with a huge baked carcass.
The most classic recipe is to bake the whole carcass in the oven, stuffing it with various fillings - vegetables, mushrooms, juicy fruits, nuts and even meat. This tradition came from America, from the homeland of this bird, where it is especially valued. Meat is not only tender and tasty, but also the healthiest of all animal products - it has a minimum of cholesterol and almost no harmful fat, but a lot of useful substances and vitamins. It contains a whole storehouse of sodium, the lack of which can lead to various ailments.
This meat is ideal for children, allergy sufferers and those on diets, and is also highly recommended for older people. Turkey is recommended during recovery from illness and is included in the therapeutic diet. True, cooking it is not as easy as chicken - you need to know some subtleties and tricks. You need to choose the right carcass: young, with light elastic skin, smooth surface, with firm and dense meat. The carcass should not weigh more than five kilograms - young individuals are much tastier and more tender.
There are a lot of options for cooking turkey. The most classic and beloved by most is whole in the oven , with a fragrant, juicy crust that no one can resist. But there are also simpler, everyday dishes and cooking methods. It is boiled, fried in pieces or individual parts (for example, thighs), baked in foil or in a sleeve, made into rolls, homemade sausages, stuffed. They make soups, jellied meat, stews, add to pasta, fry goulash, stew.
A very popular technique is to stuff the carcass with cereals, nuts, apples, mushrooms, liver, and potatoes. The meat is prepared marinated so that it is more tender and juicy, and the carcass is never cooked cold - it must be at room temperature.
How is a male different from a female?
Woman on the left, man on the right.
There are several methods for determining the sex of a bird. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Below are the most accurate of them, by which you can determine with high probability whether the person in front of you is a man or a woman.
By external signs
The most striking feature that distinguishes a “boy” from a “girl” is “coral” - a crimson-colored growth of skin reaching 10-15 cm in length. It starts under the beak and hangs down from there. It occurs only in males.
Above the beak there is another fleshy outgrowth. It occurs in both sexes, but in the male it is large and shiny, and in the female it is pale and small.
Adult turkeys and turkeys
To differentiate the two species, look at the bird's head. Adult males have a bald head, while females have light down.
The crest of males has a reddish-burgundy tint, much larger and richer in color than that of females. In the latter case, it has a pale pink or orange color.
Note: Turkeys have longer naked necks than turkeys.
When feeding, carefully examine the bird's chest. Males have thicker, coarser plumage with a stiff “brush” of feathers. Females, on the contrary, have softer and sparse plumage.
By the fullness of the tail
Sexing option suitable for adult birds. Females have a small, graceful tail. Males have dense plumage, resulting in a bushy tail.
This mark is more noticeable than others. Adult birds recognize it immediately. The tail of males in an excited state is fluffy and gives the impression of being voluminous.
By spurs and litter volume
The legs of males are longer and the toes are larger than those of females. The presence or absence of spurs (a kind of horny processes) is quite easy to determine.
Only turkeys have spurs; they use them for fighting and defense; in females, the formations appear rarely and only in the embryonic state.
Birds also vary in the amount of droppings they produce. Males have smaller and denser litter, which is arranged in the shape of the Latin letter “J”. Females have a larger amount of feces and arrange them in piles.
By habits
Behavioral analysis will distinguish males from females. The first are aimed at protecting their chicks, often hitting them while they are still small. When the male is excited, he spreads his tail.
Also in this state, the branch above the beak becomes taut, and the “corals” become brighter. Males keep to themselves. Females are sociable and often gather in groups.
By size of individual
What the male (right) and female (left) look like, photo:
Males are two to three times larger than turkeys. Therefore, “boys” are heavier than “girls,” often 2-3 times. Men's torsos are wider.
External characteristics of the turkey
The turkey is a slender and long-legged bird , with a short tail and wings that are very powerful in nature.
Their head and upper neck are bare, and instead of a crest they have warty growths called corals. There is also a nasal process on the forehead. The size of the appendage and coral directly depends on the sex of the bird. It is interesting that in an excited state, in representatives of the stronger sex, corals and growths increase several times, filling with blood. In a normal and calm state, the growths are dark red in color, while in an excited state the color varies from blue to purple.
Do birds differ depending on their habitat?
Researchers compared turkeys bred in Russia with American birds. No significant differences have been found, but sometimes breeds bred in Russia are called turkeys, and American breeds are called turkeys.
Among the breeds popular in our country are the following:
- Moscow White. Turkeys are not very heavy, but they are easy to raise. The female lays eggs well, which do not require special conditions for maturation. This breed tolerates difficult weather conditions well.
- North Caucasian brown. This bird gains weight well on pasture, which saves a lot of money on feed in the summer. This is one of the largest breeds in Russia - males weigh 14 kg, and females - 7 kg.
- White broad-chested. It is unpretentious to weather conditions and tolerates cold better than others. Within one breed there are small, medium and large turkeys.
Turkey diseases
You need to know about poultry diseases
Even the most well-groomed turkey at home can get sick. Therefore, any owner needs to know the main symptoms of pathologies. If this is an industrial farm, timely diagnosis will help save the entire livestock from infections. Most often found in poultry:
Newcastle disease. Caused by a virus, birds become paralyzed when infected, followed by diarrhea. The duration of the disease is 1-4 days, less often 7-10 days. If sick turkeys are identified, they must be slaughtered immediately and the carcasses destroyed. Treatment has not yet been developed; vaccinations are used for prevention. Respiratory mycoplasmosis. With this disease, birds first wheeze, sneeze, and cough. Then swelling or swelling appears under the eyes. The mortality rate is not very high, but little meat is obtained from turkey with mycoplasmosis. She is losing weight and is stunted. To prevent the infection from spreading, sick birds are isolated and the poultry house is disinfected. Pullorosis. Pathology of young animals, sick little chicks are stunted, weaken, and begin to have diarrhea. At the final stage, the turkey poults fall on their feet and huddle in a corner. The mortality rate among young animals is quite high
For prevention, it is important to keep the box with the chicks clean; their water should always be clean and their food fresh. Aspergillotoxicosis. Fungal turkey pathology, which is transmitted through contaminated food
Can be acute or chronic. It manifests itself as diarrhea, the turkey becomes lethargic, is stunted, and loses weight. It is best to slaughter a sick individual, disinfect the room, and change the bedding. Tablets with bacteria and sour milk are good at preventing the disease. Histosomiasis. A bacterial disease that affects the colon and liver. The main signs are foamy diarrhea of an orange or yellowish hue, loss of appetite, weight loss, feather loss. Often the disease occurs in a flock that lives in a former duck house. Parasites. When skin parasites appear, the turkey itches and behaves restlessly. For prevention, ash baths are arranged, and the poultry house can be treated with insecticides.
When the first signs of pathology appear, you should contact a veterinarian, why take another risk. If this is a dangerous infectious disease, the entire herd should be slaughtered. Both sick and healthy birds are slaughtered. For some diseases, you can still get meat from turkey; they are not dangerous for humans. There are pathologies that can actually be treated. To prevent your turkey from getting sick at home, you need to keep the house clean and vaccinate on time.
How to determine the sex of baby turkeys?
The sex of small chicks is difficult to determine.
The sex of an adult is determined by a number of factors:
- growth on the chin;
- corals (growths on the neck);
- paw structure.
- plumage on the head;
- behavior;
- growths on the beak;
Until the chicks are at least two months old, it is difficult to determine whether they are males or females.
The only way to know for sure which hatched is to use the original Japanese cloaca technique. It is suitable for determining the sex of newborn chicks.
The method involves opening the cloaca of a newborn chick and examining the future genitals. The unformed sexual organ of the male is represented by two bright red tubers. The turkey will have one pink or pale red tuber.
Some poultry farmers determine the sex of turkey poults by carcass size. However, this method can only be used in poultry farms where there is complete confidence in the purity of the poultry breed.
Domestic breeding ensures variation in the herd's gene pool, which can result in some females being larger than males.
Chickens separated by sex grow faster.
Therefore, in poultry farms, the sex is determined immediately after the birth of the bird.
The Japanese method can be used during the first 15 hours of a chick's life. After this, the cloaca becomes rigid, which does not allow sufficient control of the chick's genitals.
Length of feathers on wings
This may surprise you, but even by the length of the feather covering on the wings of small turkey chicks, you can determine whether they are male or female.
So, in turkeys, the outer feathers on the wings will have absolutely the same length, while in turkeys the feathers will be shorter and less rigid. They will look more like light fluff than a formed feather. Despite some dubiousness of this method, it is often used even in industrial poultry farms. This method helps to identify male and female individuals from the first days of life, because as birds grow older, their wings and plumage develop and even out in length.
Check out the list of current turkey crosses, turkey breeds for home breeding, technology for incubating turkey eggs, temperature conditions for turkey poults, and features of raising turkeys at home.
Does the difference in breeds and habitat affect the name of female turkeys?
Turkey breeds are very diverse. Newly domesticated or wild turkeys are most often called turkeys. Domesticated many years or even centuries ago, these birds are commonly called turkeys.
A large bird that is bred on all continents of the Earth, in Europe and America it is usually called turkey. In the CIS countries and Russia, this bird is more often called turkey.
The difference is felt only in the core, the meat protein is the same, the plumage and other features differ only in the breed marks.
The highest quality turkey meat is produced in the USA; the Russian climate is not very favorable for turkeys, so the difference in size is noticeable; Russian birds are smaller. From one bird you can get up to 100 eggs per year and up to 14 kilograms of meat.
The need to identify gender identity
Planning the purchase of feed, living conditions and preventive vaccination of birds will depend on the correctness of the gender difference.
Males consume more feed than females, so their nutrition is increased during fattening. Turkeys have weaker immune systems, so their health must be monitored more closely. Correct sex determination of these poultry can even affect their psychological state.
You can distinguish a turkey from a turkey quite easily if you have skill, are observant and know the basic genetic characteristics of birds. For a more accurate result, it is better to use several methods for determining gender at the same time.
Identification of female and male individuals in the early stages of development is especially important, since not only their maintenance and feeding, but also their sales depend on this.
Turkey is a fairly popular bird in the household. It is bred for its dietary meat, which has unique taste. Down and feathers are also used, and droppings are used as fertilizer.
Caring for a turkey has a number of features; they must be taken into account for successful breeding. So, male and female need different diets. Therefore, a novice farmer needs to know how to distinguish a turkey from a turkey.
What is feather eating in turkeys?
A bird eater is an insect that parasitizes the skin and plumage of birds. Allergic reactions in birds can provoke its appearance. The feather mite also appears on the skin of those individuals kept in dirty, poorly ventilated poultry houses.
Turkeys are very sensitive to dampness and drafts. It is the lack of care and compliance with the standards for keeping domestic turkeys that leads to the infestation of plumage with insects. The essence of the pest's pestilence is that it destroys the root of the feather fan.
Damage to the root leads to the fact that the feather falls out of the bag, and stumps remain on the skin instead of healthy feathers, otherwise they are called feathers. If the disease is not treated and no action is taken, the turkey may be left with only bare rods instead of flight and tail wings.
It is noteworthy that the beetle affects various parts of the body of turkeys. The neck, back, sternum, and wings can become bald. Birds with this disease suffer greatly, itch, and feel uncomfortable. Antiparasitic drugs can help in the treatment of periodontal disease. It is also necessary to place sick individuals separately from the flock. The insect is found in bedding, straw, and can be found in perches.
Therefore, it is extremely important to replace the bedding, feeders and waterers in the turkey house. Getting rid of periodism is quite difficult; the course of treatment can take several months.
The beetle is resistant to low temperatures and has high vitality.
YouTube responded with an error: The request cannot be completed because you have exceeded your quota.
Breeding
Turkeys reach sexual maturity at 7-9 months of age, depending on the breed. Peak egg production occurs in spring and autumn; on average, hens lay up to 100 eggs per season.
They are rarely used for incubation, since turkey poults obtained in this way do not survive well, and due to their massive body, females can simply crush the eggs. Females have a highly developed brooding instinct, which some farmers take advantage of when raising small breeds.
After oviposition, eggs need to be checked for fertilization using an ovoscope. After this, they can be given to the bird for incubation or an incubator can be used. It takes 28 days for turkey poults to hatch, after which they can be transferred to a brooder. In adult poultry houses, young animals are released at the age of 30 days.
Breeding turkey poults is a profitable business; eggs and raised young animals are in great demand on the market. If the gender composition of the herd is observed, eggs are fertilized in large quantities, however, after one laying cycle, it is advisable to send the hens to slaughter, since egg productivity then decreases.
Additional Methods
To summarize, I would like to focus on the main points regarding the determination of the sex of birds:
- Total weight and dimensions;
- The presence of a beard and corals;
- Small dense wart;
- The bubbling sounds of baby boys;
- Head size and sexual manifestations;
- Lush tail plumage of males;
- Differences in bowel movements;
- Behavioral nuances.
Every poultry farmer who keeps birds should know these points.
Attention! This bird differs from other domestic birds in that it lacks ears and sense of smell, but has excellent hearing and taste.
Special gland
The male of this bird has a fairly pronounced gland that can be palpated. You can fully feel and palpate this gland when your poultry is about five months old.
The method is considered a common folk method, but not a scientific one. But the technology always works flawlessly. Sex can be determined when the turkey and female turkey are the same weight - this happens at the age of six months.
Qualified farmers prefer this method, as it accurately determines the sex of poultry of this breed.
Price
Turkey eggs for incubation can be purchased starting from 50 rubles each. Raised young animals cost a little more - the price for daily heavy cross-breed turkey poults starts from 300 rubles per piece.
Adult birds have a high cost, which is influenced by the age of the bird, breed and quality of the nursery. Breeding turkeys in good health can be found from 4 thousand rubles.
You need to purchase birds only from verified farms or from breeders who have all the sanitary and veterinary certificates. When purchasing eggs for incubation, it is necessary to check them with an ovoscope and carefully inspect the young for the presence of diseases and pests.
Origin[edit | edit code]
History of domestication[edit | edit code]
Domestication of the wild turkey took place in the New World, where indigenous people domesticated the wild turkey long before the Europeans discovered America[2]. In 1519, turkeys were brought to Spain (hence another, outdated, name - “ Spanish chickens”
"), and after 5 years they spread to France, England and throughout Europe[3][4].
Another early name for turkey is “ Turkish chickens
”[5], which was assigned to the bird in English (
“Turkey”
).
Application among the Aztecs[edit | edit code]
In his fundamental work “General History of the Affairs of New Spain” (1547-1577), Bernardino de Sahagún, relying on Aztec information about the properties of plants, provided various information about the use of turkey in health-restoring dishes:
“...But if the patient’s stomach is in extreme disorder, then let him drink a certain kind of atole, which in the local language is called istatolli, or broth from boiled turkey two or three times. The illness will be cleared. Then eat...[6] Or drink this well-boiled Ashina water, but if he does not want to drink it, then at least let him drink chicken broth...[7] And if the diarrhea is severe, in order to delay it, they force him to take a little bird's broth or thin gruel called yolatolly... [8] Having taken it in this way, the patient drinks a little bird's broth or broth of bird's breasts, called yolatolly, and, having taken it, eats; but he should not drink cold water...”[9]
