Butterballs!

Nature 5 Minutes

Thankfully, I am NOT referring to the butterball above! I’m talking turkey!!

Female turkeys don’t gobble, but they do purr.

Turkeys are known for the gobbling sound they make, but it turns out that only the male birds make that iconic call. Female turkeys—or hens—on the other hand, will instead cluck like a chicken, yelp if they’re excited or agitated, or purr like a cat (although, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, it’s more of a “rolling, almost staccato call” than a purr, but it conveys the same feeling of contentment).

Turkeys were once primarily bred for their feathers, not their meat.

These days, farmers breed turkeys in order to sell them for their meat. But, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, up until 1935, the birds were bred for their “beautifully colored plumage,” which features stunning striped patterns.

An adult turkey has around 5,000 to 6,000 feathers.

Not only do turkeys have gorgeous feathers, but they also have a lot of them. According to the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service, an adult turkey has anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 individual feathers on their body.

Male turkeys are called toms or gobblers.

Female turkeys are called hens, just like female chickens; but male turkeys aren’t roosters. Instead, they’re called toms, or, since male turkeys are the ones who make the notorious gobbling sound, they can also be called gobblers.

Toms have more warts than hens.

While some of the differences between male and female turkeys could be considered endearing—such as the noises they make and the names they’ve been given—there’s at least one difference between the two genders that isn’t quite so cute. Tom turkeys have more warts on their heads than their lady friends, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Hens also weigh about half as much as their male counterparts.

Male and female turkey droppings are shaped differently.

Although you might expect there to be a few differences between the way male and female turkeys look, you might be surprised to find out that there’s also a difference when it comes to their bathroom habits. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, male droppings are “j-shaped,” while those of females take on a more “spiral or curlicue” shape.

Turkeys hear certain sounds better than humans.

When you think about animals with amazing hearing, dogs, elephants, bats, or owls likely come to mind, but probably not turkeys. It turns out, however, turkeys can actually hear far-off and low-frequency sounds better than humans, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation. “Hearing allows the bird to detect a threat if its eyes are occupied on finding food,” retired regional biologist Bob Eriksen for the NWTF explains. “Wild turkeys have an uncanny ability to locate the source of a sound.”

Turkeys lived around 10 million years ago.

The woolly mammoth had its hey-day on Earth until about 10,500 years ago before eventually becoming extinct 4,000 years ago. While it’s hard to imagine a turkey flying above a gigantic woolly mammoth, the birds have actually been around for a lot longer. In fact, turkeys have been on the scene for almost 10 million years, according to the University of Illinois.

Turkeys almost went extinct—twice.

While turkeys aren’t currently an endangered species, there were two points in the past when we almost lost them completely. According to the Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine, the California turkey went extinct about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, likely due to climate change or overhunting, or a combination of the two. And when European settlers arrived in America, turkeys again found themselves as targets of prolific hunting. The birds were totally gone from Connecticut by 1813, disappeared from Vermont around 1842, and by the 1930s, turkeys were again growing dangerously close to extinction before efforts were taken to make sure they weren’t wiped out.

Turkeys were named after the “Turkish” area despite being from North America.

You might have wondered why turkeys have the name that they do despite the fact that they originated in North America. Encyclopedia Britannica explains that when the bird became popular in England, the name turkey-cock, formerly used for the guinea fowl found in Islamic (or “Turkish”) lands, was used to refer to the bird we know as a turkey today.

All but 12 U.S. states have turkeys.

While people in all 50 states enjoy turkey as a part of their Thanksgiving dinners, the birds, specifically Eastern wild turkeys, can be found roaming wild in 38 states in the U.S., according to the National Wild Turkey Federation. They can also be spotted in various provinces up in Canada.

Turkey beards grow three to five inches per year.

Yes, turkeys have beards, but they aren’t made of hair. Instead, turkey beards consist of modified feathers that form bristles or filaments, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Some turkeys even have multiple beards that can each grow up to three to five inches each year.

Turkeys can—and will—attack humans.

Turkeys may not have the fierce reputation that some fang-gnashing, claw-showing predators have earned, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have an aggressive side. In fact, turkeys are fully willing and able to attack humans. That’s why the Massachusetts government provides tips on how to prevent conflicts with turkeys while both CBS Boston and Good Day Sacramento offer insights into what to do should you find yourself as a victim of a turkey attack.

Store-bought turkeys can’t fly.

The turkey that you buy at the grocery store has been bred and raised to provide you with as much meat as possible. Because of this, they end up with unnaturally large breasts which hinder their ability to fly, according to The Patriot News.

Wild turkeys, however, can soar for over a mile.

Wild turkeys, on the other hand, are perfectly capable of taking flight. In fact, according to The Patriot News, they can reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour while in the air. And the Pennsylvania Game Commission reports they can soar for a mile or more by alternating between strong wingbeats and gliding.

Turkeys can run 12 miles per hour.

Some turkeys may not be able to fly, but their inability to get airborne doesn’t completely slow them down. Even while on the ground, they can still move at a pretty good clip, running upwards of 12 miles an hour, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Turkeys have more than doubled in size in the last 40 years.

If you’re able to feed your entire family with one turkey at Thanksgiving, that’s due to the fact that the birds have gotten much bigger over the years. As recently as 1980, the typical U.S. domesticated turkey weighed less than 19 pounds at slaughter—not much bigger than a wild turkey, according to the Pew Research Center. But nowadays, the average bird we carve up on Thanksgiving weighs 29.8 pounds, more than twice the average weight nearly 40 years ago.

We eat nearly 50 million turkeys each Thanksgiving.

Around 88 percent of Americans choose the traditional bird for their Thanksgiving meal, which means that around 46 million turkeys are eaten in the U.S. on that one day each year, according to the University of Illinois. It’s also a popular pick for other holidays as well, with 22 million and 19 million eaten each year on Christmas and Easter, respectively.

The average American eats 104.9 pounds of turkey every year.

Along with eating turkeys on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, Americans also enjoy the bird’s meat throughout the rest of the year in sandwiches, soups, and a range of other dishes. And according to 2015 data from U.S. News and World Report, the average U.S. citizen eats nearly 105 pounds of turkey annually.

Nearly 229 million turkeys were produced in the U.S. last year.

There are more than 330 million people in the United States. And in 2019 alone, 229 million turkeys were produced across the country, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soon they might overtake us!

The world record for the fastest turkey carving is 3 minutes and 19.47 seconds.

On June 3, 2009, the U.K.’s Paul Kelly set the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to carve a turkey. He was able to successfully butcher the bird in just 3 minutes and 19.47 seconds!

Published by FJB

Published

188 thoughts on “Butterballs!”

  1. Entire Article @ BB: [NF: Problem is, he is dead wrong – the system did NOT work the way it was designed according to our Constitution on Jan 6 and as for the courts, they and SCOTUS were too cowardly to properly address the issue!!!]

    “Sunday on FNC’s “Fox & Friends Weekend,” network contributor and constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley rejected claims from Democrats and other left-leaning media mouthpieces for their hyperbolic rhetoric about the end of the democracy should Republicans win majorities on Tuesday.

    Turley condemned the remarks from the various Democrat politicians and media pundits as “grotesque.”

    “It is not justified. It is grotesque. It is deeply offensive for anyone who is familiar with our constitutional system. We have the most successful constitutional system in the history of the world. I mean, this is a system that has weathered every challenge. It is a constitution that was written for the worst of times, not the best of times. James Madison crafted this Constitution so we didn’t have to rely on the good motivations of our leaders that we had a system – checks and balances. It has weathered every storm, and that’s why this is so unsettling, this sort of crisis of faith. And it is coming from our leaders and our leading pundits, trying to tell American citizens that our constitutional system is about to collapse.”

    “It’s really alarming, particularly when they cite January 6,” Turley continued. “The system worked on January 6. Everything was carried out according to the Constitution by the officials in charge. The courts ruled against former President Trump, including many of his own appointees. Now you can debate the merits back and forth about that election, but the system itself did not even skip a beat. It worked exactly the way it was intended. And that is the reason this borders on a type of defamation. You know, I’m OK with politicians doing hyperbole and reckless rhetoric but leave our Constitution out of it. It is the one functioning, working, moving part that we have despite the efforts of our leaders.”

    Liked by 1 person

    2. sorry…I didn’t realize I didn’t post it all…

      Harry the Greek
      November 6, 2022 4:07 pm

      Abrams’ Campaign Mgr. is in charge of counting her votes for GA Gov.
      Abrams’ Campaign Mgr. has been given the power to count her votes.

      Like

  21. Freedom ring
    Freedom ring
    November 6, 2022 4:56 pm

    Wisconsin Veterans group sues to sequester military absentee ballots.

    The action arose after a major vulnerability in the state’s military absentee ballot verification process was brought to light by a whistleblower working within the City of Milwaukee Elections Commission.

    To expose a major flaw in the military mail-in vote system, the high-ranking election official, who has since been fired, successfully applied online for three military absentee ballots under three different names and had them all delivered to the residence of State Assemblywoman Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls).

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/wisconsin-veterans-group-sues-to-sequester-states-military-absentee-ballots-before-vote-counting-begins_4845633.html

    In other news DOD to provide an additional $400 million aid package to Ukraine

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/dod-announces-additional-400-million-military-aid-package-for-ukraine_4844705.html

    Liked by 1 person

        1. They brought the case up briefly on our local news but put it forward as being a real attempt at fraud. I was soooo pissed….that’s why I usually just FF to the weather, then delete the asswipes.

          Liked by 1 person

  26. update to kari lake HQ–closed INDEFINITELY

    from wolf’s

    para59rOnline
    Coyote
    November 6, 2022 17:09

    UPDATE: Kari Lake’s HQ Shut Down INDEFINITELY, Staffer Under Medical Supervision

    https://thelibertydaily.com/breaking-kari-lakes-hq-shut-down-after-receiving-white-powder-and-bomb-threat/

    Dirty Trick but to what effect? This is the final get out the vote days. Lots of coordination going on in that office to ensure turn out and watch for irregularities, control events and general response, I’d imagine.

    Ask me and I’d say picket Hobbs place. No one in or out.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. the PA Supreme Court vacated lower court’s ruling about counting ballots that do not have a date or incorrect date on them…meaning they cannot be counted. dems now file suit to appeal that…the PA Supreme is following the LAW in PA. they want to change the law, but you cannot change it (at least you shouldn’t be able to change it) so close to election. (And i disagree with their assertion it’s a trivial paperwork error. ballots need certain things to be counted in PA and a proper date and signature are required.)
    FTA
    On Friday night, state chapters of the NAACP, League of Women Voters, Common Cause, and other groups filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania in response to a ruling by the state Supreme Court that officials cannot count ballots whose return envelopes do not have accurate, handwritten dates. Several groups were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

    AP reported:

    The groups said refusing to count such ballots “because of a trivial paperwork error” could disenfranchise thousands of voters and would violate provisions of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that immaterial errors or omissions should not be used to prevent voting.

    “Refusing to count votes based on immaterial paperwork errors has a suppressive effect … by erecting yet another roadblock preventing them from voting and having their votes counted,” the lawsuit said.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/11/several-groups-pennsylvania-file-lawsuit-challenging-court-ruling-undated-mail-ballots-cannot-counted/

    Liked by 1 person

  29. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Put out some corn and you’ve got Thanksgiving dinner! You could even baste it with Wild Turkey and butter to make the gravy and the dinner even wilder!

          Liked by 1 person

            2. Build him a nice cleaning table out by the shed. He can bury the leavings in the edge of the woods or in a compost pile for the garden maybe…

              Liked by 1 person

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