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Animal profile

Domestic Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

AvesFarms and commercial houses; the wild ancestor occupies woodland and forest edge

Field profile

The domestic turkey descends from the wild turkey of North America, domesticated in Mesoamerica and taken to Europe in the sixteenth century. Commercial broad-breasted lines have been selected for pectoral muscle mass to a degree that prevents natural mating. Wild turkeys, by contrast, fly strongly over short distances and roost in trees.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-01-08

Domestic Turkey

Commercial turkeys can no longer mate naturally

Selection for breast muscle has made the standard commercial turkey so front-heavy that males cannot physically mount females. Essentially all commercial turkey production now depends on artificial insemination, a fact rarely mentioned on the packaging.

Read with evidence →

Domestic Turkey | Daily Animal Facts