How do wild and domesticated turkeys differ?

Answer 1

Yes. Most farmed turkeys that would show up on your table are Broad Breasted Whites. They are bred to be big and have a large breast. They are so big, they have to be butchered before they get to their full size because their legs will break under their own weight, and be artificially inseminated because they can't breed on their own. They are white in color so that dark pin feathers don't show on their skin, making a better looking cooked bird. There are however, what is called 'heritage' breeds which are very close to wild turkeys and these are generally grown by hobbyists. There are several colors available. They are a bit bigger than a wild turkey, but not as big as the broad breasted breeds. A wild turkey is about the size of a big chicken. In terms of the taste, it depends on what the turkey has been eating. The turkeys you get at the store have been eating manufactured pellets and butchered before their full weight so they don't have much fat (which makes them dry and kind of tasteless). A wild turkey likes to eat acorns and greens, and will have a much more full bodied turkey taste. Their meat is also darker because they get more exercise than a penned turkey. If you feed a domesticated turkey on a wild turkey diet, it will taste like a wild turkey.

Answer 2

A farm turkey will be heavier and larger, but the meat will be less flavorful (if you are a meat-eater). A wild turkey will tend to be much smaller but also much more flavorful. The farm turkey can be easily captured in a grocery store, but a wild turkey has to be chased around in the woods.

Answer 3

Physically there's not much difference between the heritage breeds of domesticated turkeys and wild turkeys. They can both fly, naturally mate and have the ability to learn to forage and live without humans. They are similar weight and proportion. The domesticated heritage turkeys tend to get bigger than the wild turkeys because they are fed more consistently and have been bred for size. Heritage and wild turkeys go from hatch to slaughter in 6-10 months.

Broad breasted turkeys, currently the type of turkey that is most farmed, are unable to fly, cannot mate naturally (must be artificially insemnated) and have a faster weight gain than wild or heritage turkeys, typically going from hatch to slaughter in 4 or 5 months.

A heritage turkey breed is on that is similar or identical to one that was domesticated and present on farms 50 to 100 years ago. Examples of heritage turkey breeds are narragansett, blue slate, Bourbon red, standard bronze and royal palm. Examples of wild turkeys are eastern wild turkey, Rio grande wild turkey, merriams wild turkey. Examples of currently domesticated are broad breasted white turkey, broad breasted bronze turkey.

Answer 4

Wild turkeys can fly, unlike domesticated ones. Wild turkeys are more intelligent than domesticated turkeys, but the domesticated ones taste better. (in my opinion)

Domesticated turkeys are much easier to acquire for food purposes than wild turkeys, which you need to hunt for yourself.

Answer 5

A wild turkey is domestic. A domestic turkey is wild.

Answer 6

Reg. turkeys are nicer. Wild turkeys are crazy. Turkeys are farm raised and wild turkeys roam in the wild.