Kerala, India
Turkeys have existed for a long time. Turkey history actually begins millions of years ago. Their fossils have been discovered in Pleistocene deposits, which means they have existed for more than twelve thousand years, and their ancestors date back 50 to 60 million years to the Eocene period. Since the modern domesticated turkey descends from the Wild Turkey, it is believed that ancient Mesoamericans chose to domesticate this species rather than the Ocellated Turkey which is found in far southern Mexico.
Turkeys require most of their care and attention during the first couple of months. After this period, they become much easier to care for. Turkeys are friendly and curious by nature. There are many reasons to raise turkeys.
1) Turkeys as food: Turkeys are traditionally eaten as the main course of large feasts at Christmas in much of the world, as well as Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, though this tradition has its origins in modern times, rather than colonial as is often supposed. Sliced turkey is frequently used as sandwich meat or served as cold cuts. Ground turkey is sold just as ground beef and is frequently marketed as a healthy beef substitute. Without careful preparation, cooked turkey is usually considered to be less moist than other poultry meats such as chicken or duck.
Wild turkeys, while technically the same species as domesticated turkeys, have a very different taste from farm-raised turkeys. Almost all of the meat is “dark” (even the breast) with a more intense flavor. Turkey is often found as a processed meat. It can be smoked and as such is sometimes sold as turkey ham. The white meat of turkey is generally considered healthier and less fattening than the dark meat, but the nutritional differences are small.
2) Turkeys as pets: While most who raise turkeys do so for consumption, some keep turkeys as pets. This has been known to destroy their commercial value as Thanksgiving dinner.
Some do both, keeping some as pets while consuming the others. 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 more intelligent than the domestic. Domestic turkeys are the type eaten on Thanksgiving and they cannot fly. Domestic and wild turkeys are physically different.
Animal welfare groups such as Farm Sanctuary claim that turkeys are intelligent and social animals that can make suitable companion animals. US President George W. Bush noted the long tradition of keeping turkeys as pets in his 2001 National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation speech. Bush noted that Abraham Lincoln’s son Tad kept a turkey as a White House pet.
3) Turkeys provide built-in pest control service: Turkeys may have the most varied diet of any animal known. They eat a variety of foods depending on availability, preference, and nutritional needs. All age classes consume insects when they are available. In summer, turkeys eat large quantities of insects, grass seeds, berries, and green leaves. Turkeys eat bugs, mosquitoes, ticks and flies too.
4) Turkey dung as fuel: Turkey droppings are being used as a fuel source in electric power plants. One such plant in western Minnesota provides 55 megawatts of power using 700,000 tons of dung per year. The plant began operating in 2007. Three such plants are in operation in England.