Did you know? Benjamin Franklin once said the turkey is a "true original native of America". He called the turkey a bird of courage, as a turkey is quick to defend itself and fight against predators. Ben Franklin wanted it, rather than the bald eagle, to be the symbol of the United States.
Turkeys eat grain, corn, grass and especially love oatmeal. They also eat fruits such as grapes, apples and assorted berries including poison ivy berries. They eat a variety of vegetables, leaves and weeds. Their diet isn't limited to a vegetarian menu as turkeys will eat insects such as beetles and crickets. They also eat mealworms, earthworms, spiders and small animals. They particularly like eating broken chicken eggs. Because turkeys do not have teeth, they need to swallow small rocks or grit (dirt, sand, eggs shells or oyster shells) to have in their gizzards to help grind up their food.
Typically, a wild tom turkey lives 2 years and a wild hen turkey lives for 3 years. The record lifespan for a turkey living in captivity is 12 years and 4 months. Domestic turkeys generally do not live longer than one year as they have been bred to grow too heavy to carry their own weight, which for a domestic tom turkey is 50 to 86 pounds. Domestic turkeys are typically butchered for their meat when they are one year old.
After breeding, a hen turkey will lay 8-16 eggs during the nesting period which is from mid-April to mid-June. The eggs will incubate for 28 days before they hatch. Prior to breeding, the tom turkey will fan his tail feathers, fluff his body feathers and strut about while gobbling and grunting. This dance is in an attempt to impress the hen turkeys. Unfortunately for domestic tom turkeys, they are too large to breed by themselves and need the farmer's help through artificial insemination. Wild turkeys will breed with several hens.
Farmers use turkeys for their meat. In the United States, the average person will eat 15 pounds of turkey a year. Their feathers are also used to make feather dusters. Believe it or not, turkey manure is often used as fertilizer and as a source for energy through a process called gasification.
Red Barn Farm has been a home for Narragansett(black/gray feathers) and Bourbon Red turkeys. There are eight types of turkeys recognized by The American Poultry Association. They are Bronze, Narragansett, Bourbon Red, Black, Slate, Royal Palm, Beltsville Small White and the WhiteHolland. The most commonly raised turkey is the White Holland.
