(Inside Science) -- They may sound the same, but wild and domestic turkeys do have their differences, from their dramatically different looks to their distinct meat flavor and tenderness. Mesoamerican cultures first began raising turkeys between 2,000 and 3,000 years, not only for the meat but for other tools essential to survival. Six subspecies of wild turkeys exist, with at least one subspecies in every state of the United States except for Alaska. Eggs are eggs are eggs it seems to be. The typical domestic variety on farms originated from wild turkeys. What is the difference between turkey and chicken? Most North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. “Natural”, “free range,” and “organic” turkeys are routinely subjected to debeaking, which is intended to prevent overcrowded birds from pecking at each other. The pen-raised bird makes up more than 95 percent of turkeys served. Wild turkeys are tough old birds. Courting males puff themselves into feathery balls and fill the air with exuberant gobbling. When I got home with Prey, I put a little down for them to test their interest. Debeaking involves slicing off about one-third of a bird’s beak with a red hot blade when the turkey is around 5 … The wild turkey is the only type of poultry native to North America and is the ancestor of the domesticated turkey. Although domestic and wild rabbits share similarities in appearance, the two are very different. Then they were imported to back to North America by English settlers as the black Spanish turkey, which was bred with the wild North American turkey. Turkey males are called toms or gobblers, and females are called hens. Apparently gone from the wild, the 6 th turkey subspecies nonetheless lives on in the form of the domestic turkey. Not to say that it's going to taste any better or worse, because that's up to your own tastes. Here are your options: Wild Turkey 101 – the reliable everyman bourbon workhorse Russell’s Reserve 10-Year – a 90-proof KSBW with a distinguished age statement While there is never a wrong […] A wild turkey that loses its … Courting males puff themselves into feathery balls and fill the air with exuberant gobbling. Turkey Eggs vs Chicken Eggs. If you had to choose between the two flagship bourbons of each Wild Turkey brand (Wild Turkey and Russell’s Reserve), which would you pick and why? Wild turkeys, while technically the same species as domestic turkeys, have a very different taste from farm-raised turkeys. The general consensus seems to be that turkey eggs do in fact, taste pretty much like a chicken egg. Wild turkeys are sleek, alert and built for speed and survival. They often have a distinct "wild" flavor and can sometime taste of pine/cedar if gathered from the wild. The duck egg, guinea egg, and ostrich egg have been found to be similar to a chicken egg. Most North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. Bronze turkeys weigh in at 16 pounds for a young hen and 25 pounds for a young tom. The domestic turkey also possesses a temperament more suited to confinement. Note the extensive farmland through the former distribution of the south Mexican subspecies. This shows the past and present-day distribution of wild turkey (based on the range map given by Howell and Webb 1995). While wild turkeys are capable of flight, domesticated turkeys cannot fly.