When the Spanish conquered Mexico in 1528 the Aztec king Montezuma already kept tame turkeys to adorn himself with their feathers. Their meat was only eaten on festive days as they were of high religious value in the cult of the dead. After the discovery of America they were brought to Europe and bred especially for their meat. In contrast to the American Indians Europeans consider turkeys ugly because of their red, naked forehead and neck lobes.
Category: Birds
Stem type: American. Wild turkeys 2 500 years ago
Weight: ♂ 8-20 kg; ♀ 4-11 kg
Breeding duration: 26-28 days
feed: cereal, insects, fresh shoots, seeds
Power: up to 250 eggs / year; tasty, low-fat meat