Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-c8zdz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T17:33:57.123Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A brief history of the turkey 1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

A. W. Brant
A. W. Brant
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
Get access

Abstract

The recorded history of the turkey spans about 500 years. Turkeys originated in North America, were domesticated in Europe, and are now an important source of food in many parts of the world. This review touches on some major episodes in the history of this valuable and beautiful bird, its discovery, domestication, the fame it achieved, its name and the development of some varieties, including the broad breasted phenomenon and Beltsville Small White.

Keywords

DomesticationEuropehistoryNorth Americaturkeyvarieties; wild

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 54 , Issue 4 , December 1998 , pp. 365 - 373
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Beeson, F. (1978) Who started what, and where, and how? Canada Poultryman 65: (3): 10, 12, 14, 44, 49Google Scholar
Buss, E.G. (1989) Genetics of turkeys: origin and development. World's Poultry Science Journal 45: 27–52CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, H.P. (1972) Turkey breeders switched to meat types in 1920s. Turkey World October, pp. 8–11Google Scholar
Harper, J. A. (1973) Some thanksgiving thoughts about the turkey. In: Oregon Poultry Extension Newsletter No. 7, 35–37Google Scholar
Lewis, J. C. (1973) The World of the Wild Turkey. J. P. Lippincott, New York, 158 pp.Google Scholar
Marsden, S. J. and Martin, J.H. (1955) Turkey Management. 6th edn. The Interstate, Danville, Illinois, 999 pp.Google Scholar
Merritt, J. et al. (1989) Turkeys. In: Western Poultry History (Biddle, G., Ed.), Pacific Egg & Poultry Association, pp. 231–274Google Scholar
Mossy, H. S. and Handly, C.O. (1943) The Wild Turkey in Virginia. Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, Virginia, 281 pp.Google Scholar
Schorger, A. W. (1966) The Wild Turkey. Its History and Domestication. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 625 pp.Google Scholar
Small, M. C. (1974) Turkeys. In: American Poultry History, American Poultry Historical Society, pp. 434–469Google Scholar
Watkins, D. (1986) How the turkey tradition began. Poultry Forum, NFU, October/November, p. 8Google Scholar