Turkeys
Come and meet Cranberry our farm turkey!
Trevor was our male Bronze turkey and he was the lover of Cranberry. Trevor loved showing off when anyone walked past, he would puff up his feathers and tip up his tail, to make himself look twice his normal size. If you were lucky enough to meet him, you may have heard him dragging his wings along the floor, to make an impressive sound to scare you off.
Mum, why does the turkey look so weird?
A male turkey is called a stag, a female is a hen, and a baby turkey is called a poult.
The exposed skin around a turkeys face and head helps them to keep cool in hot weather by allowing blood close to the surface of their skin. This means that turkeys can turn bright red when they get angry or excited (lots of pumping blood!) or pale blue, when they are calm.
That hanging bit over his beak is called the snood. When it’s short and pale he is relaxed – when it’s long and red he is grumpy or showing off!
The grey wiry feathers on his chest are called the beard. They are modified feathers and the length gives an idea of the turkey’s age. Otherwise, as far as biologists are aware, they serve no other purpose.
Did you know that you can support the farm by adopting our animals? Why not adopt Cranberry and Sprouts?
Check out our turkey products. Every purchase supports the farm!
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