2LearnKept species
Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
The domestic turkey descends from the wild turkey of North America and was domesticated in Mesoamerica. It is kept mainly for meat, from fast-growing commercial strains to slower-growing heritage breeds. Heritage birds forage well and mate naturally, which broad-breasted commercial strains cannot.
About
Species of bird.
- Family
- Phasianidae
Keeping
How it is kept
Kept for
- Meat
- Mature weight
- 5–16 kg
- Incubation
- 28 days
- Temperament
- Curious and sociable; toms can be pushy in the breeding season
- Forage
- Need a high-protein turkey feed, especially while young. They enjoy foraging on grass, seeds and insects as well.
- Housing
- Roomy, well-ventilated housing with high perches and secure fencing. Heritage breeds fly, so clip wings or cover the run.
- Good to know
- Young turkeys, called poults, are delicate for their first weeks and need warmth and a high-protein starter feed. Keep turkeys apart from chickens where blackhead disease is a problem, because chickens can carry it without falling ill. Commercial broad-breasted strains grow too heavy to breed naturally.
Photos, videos and notes
From keepers
Known as
Names around the world
- en
- turkey, domestic turkey
Full detailsevery field on the record, to copy
- Name
- Turkey
- Slug
- turkey
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Meleagris
- Species
- gallopavo
- Wikidata QID
- Q848706
- Container suitable
- No
- Indoor suitable
- No
- OSSI pledged
- No
- Hazard level
- 1
- Data completeness
- 48
Generated sections & citations
summarywikidata