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, but on rare occasions mutate into lethal strains. Flocks found to be infected are destroyed to prevent the possibility of lethal mutations that sicken other poultry. The “bird flu” scare is the result of a very rare mutation that infects not only birds, but sometimes people. This is the Avian Influenza (H5N1) that has only been observed in the far east. It has never been
