Turkeys - Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

Happy Thanksgiving! 

In my family, there has been an ongoing debate whether there is a difference between domestic turkeys and wild turkeys.  My niece simply does not believe that there are wild turkeys.  She says "Turkeys are turkeys."  Well, in rebuttal, I will post pictures and testimony, showing the difference between these breeds of turkeys.

Domesticated Turkey Pictures

      Wild Turkey Picture

Second, I have found numerous documentation that says there is a difference between wild and domesticated turkeys.

From http://www.bowhunting.net/, regarding the physical traits of each turkey:

Domestic turkeys are incapable of flying or even running very fast; they make easy pickings for any predator in nature. Their neck skin, or wattles, are heavier. Snoods, the finger-like appendage that hangs over the bill, are longer and breasts much larger and broader. The domestic also possesses a temperament suited to confinement.

Wild turkeys are sleek, alert and built for speed and survival. Its senses are sharpened through generations of living in a harsh, unforgiving environment. A wild turkey that loses its caution could become a predator’s dinner. This constant state of caution has made the wild turkey one of the toughest game animals in the world to hunt or even photograph.

From http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/pets/turkey.htm,

There are many different breeds of turkeys, however there are two varieties, domestic and wild. The wild turkey lives and breeds in the wild and some are kept as pets. It can fly and is said to be smarter than the domestic. The domestic turkey are the type eaten on thanksgiving and they cannot fly. The domestic and wild turkeys are physically different. Domestic turkeys are much larger than the wild turkeys. Wild turkeys have brown tipped tails, while the domestic is white. A wild turkey is much faster than the domestic turkey. The fastest wild turkey can run up to 35 mph, while a full grown domestic turkeys pace is a slow walk (females are a little faster because they weigh less than the male). Wild Turkeys have better eyesight and hearing than domestic turkeys.

Domestic turkeys weigh about twice what a wild turkey weighs. Male Wild Turkeys grow to about four feet long, including the tail. Females grow to about three feet. A wild turkey can have a wings span up to 5 feet wide. Domestic turkeys are much heavier and larger than wild turkeys. Female domestic turkeys are a lot smaller than male domestic turkeys.

Wikipedia says:  The great majority of domesticated turkeys have white feathers, although brown or bronze-feathered varieties are also raised.

At http://www.goupstate.com/, they say that:  Domestic turkeys have a white tail tip.

At http://www.discovery.com/, I found:

Today's farm-raised, domestic turkeys are descendents of wild turkeys that thrived in Mexico and Central America. Domestic turkeys are generally bigger and heavier than wild turkeys, and they're bred to give hungry people more of their favorite cuts -- the breasts and drumsticks.

I think I have shown adequate evidence to show that there is a difference between domestic and wild turkeys.  Do you agree?  (I told you, Mandie!)

Easy Recipe

Here is an easy recipe that my family served the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Turkey a la King

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 1/4 cups milk
3 cups cooked turkey, cubed

Heat until bubbling.  Serve over toast with mashed potatoes.  Yumm!

Giving thanks,
Aunt Janet