Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

Meleagris gallopavo includes both the North American wild turkey and the domestic turkey kept for meat, exhibition, and small-farm flocks. Wild birds are large ground-dwelling gamebirds with iridescent bronze plumage, a bare head and neck, a snood over the bill, and a tail that males fan during courtship displays. The domestic turkey descends mainly from birds first domesticated in Mexico, then reshaped into many farm types, from broad-breasted commercial strains to slower-growing heritage varieties. It is separate from the ocellated turkey of Central America.

People manage turkeys in very different settings. Wildlife agencies restore and monitor wild populations through habitat work, harvest seasons, and disease surveillance, while farms focus on secure housing, dry litter, predator protection, and enough space for active birds. Poults chill easily and need clean brooder conditions; adults do best with balanced feed rather than scratch grain alone. Where blackhead disease is present, mixing turkeys with chickens or reusing contaminated ground can be risky. Broad-breasted commercial lines usually require artificial insemination, whereas many heritage varieties can mate naturally and forage well when protected.