An All-American Bird

An All-American Bird. . , The wild turkey has a long history of importance to people living in the Americas. Turkey meat was an important food source to Native American people, who also used their feathers as adornments. Wild turkeys were also hunted by European colonists, and have been associated with the holiday of Thanksgiving., The domestic turkey descends from birds bred by indigenous Mesoamerican peoples around 2,000 years ago, primarily for their feathers. Turkeys were imported to Europe in the 16th-century to be raised for meat, and many distinctive breeds have been developed on both American and foreign soil., Bourbon Red Turkeys , The most popular turkey breed in the United States is the Broad-breasted White. These turkeys grow large very quickly to produce meat that looks attractive to American shoppers. This has led to just one breed of turkey breeds have been bred in wide variety of color patterns and body types. Each unique breed represents the needs of the communities, cultures, and time periods in which they were raised. These are called heritage breeds, The rusty brown and white turkeys that live here at the Nature Center are Bourbon Red turkeys. Originally bred in Bourbon County, Kentucky, this breed is known for its interesting coloration and flavorful meat., The Bourbon Red turkey was a popular breed in the early 1900s, but declined after the development of Broad-breasted turkey breeds for the meat industry. Like many heritage breeds, Bourbon Red Turkeys tend to have longer, healthier lives than Broad-breasted breeds and superior-tasting meat.