Are wild turkeys smarter than todays farm-grown turkey?
Wild turkeys grow up in woodlands where only the alert survive. At any moment a fox or a hawk could threaten their life and they must constantly look for food. In comparison, modern turkeys are couch potatoes; food and water are always close and they are safe from predators. Q: Is artificial insemination the only way farmers can really produce the “modern” turkey of today? Not entirely. Modern large-breasted turkeys are able to mate in the traditional way. But this is a clumsy act for a large-breasted turkey, and insemination is hit or miss; mostly miss. This results in a high proportion of eggs not being fertile, thus fewer poults are hatched. Artificial insemination insures that sperm are present to fertilize the hen’s egg and increase the number of poults hatched. Q: We’ve heard a lot about avian flu of late. Will it ever have an impact on our Thanksgiving turkey? All animals are subject to getting the flu, including turkeys. Hundreds of types influenza virus exist and most are mild
