Meleagris gallopavo--domesticated turkey.
No, it's not exactly a bird sanctuary; it's an egg farm in Brittany, where they don't actually know from Thanksgiving. The turkey is about to be inseminated (artificially, that is) by the male Homo sapiens.
The turkeys in the picture are tom turkeys. They must be collecting semen for artificial insemination.
IANAB, though I confess to some passing knowledge of where babies come from, and I saw a hell of a lot of eggs. The turkeys in this picture have red wattles, so I gather they are males. Now that I look more closely, I see that the turkey that was being inseminated (in another picture, which I will spare you) has no wattles and is presumably female. As I understood it, the function of the farm was to provide fertilized eggs for turkey farms.
Just like that? Not even dinner and a movie beforehand?
Mark Farmer · 30 November 2009
Considering how easy it is to get parthenogenically derived eggs from domestic turkeys I wonder "Why bother?"
waynef · 30 November 2009
The turkey is about to be inseminated (artificially, that is)
I can't put into words how grateful I am for the clarification.
BobK · 30 November 2009
The broad-breasted white (BBW) (those shown) and the broad-breasted bronze (BBB) breeds of turkeys grow so quickly that they rapidly outgrow their ability to procreate naturally.
I butchered several six-month old BBW toms last weekend that topped 40 lbs.
I doubt that "parthenogenetically derived eggs" would be able to meet the demands of a commercial production operation. Turkeys also have that ability to store sperm for 4-6 weeks to fertilize the eggs they produce.
11 Comments
Stanton · 26 November 2009
Did the photographer get free samples?
Jim Thomerson · 26 November 2009
In Spanish (as I know it) a wild turkey is a guajalote, while a tame turkey is a pavo.
stevaroni · 26 November 2009
Ron Okimoto · 26 November 2009
The turkeys in the picture are tom turkeys. They must be collecting semen for artificial insemination.
Matt Young · 26 November 2009
The Tim Channel · 27 November 2009
Whew. For a minute there I was having flashbacks to the infamous Sarah turkey video.
Enjoy.
drmabus2006 · 28 November 2009
This comment has been moved to The Bathroom Wall.
Deklane · 28 November 2009
Just like that? Not even dinner and a movie beforehand?
Mark Farmer · 30 November 2009
Considering how easy it is to get parthenogenically derived eggs from domestic turkeys I wonder "Why bother?"
waynef · 30 November 2009
BobK · 30 November 2009
The broad-breasted white (BBW) (those shown) and the broad-breasted bronze (BBB) breeds of turkeys grow so quickly that they rapidly outgrow their ability to procreate naturally.
I butchered several six-month old BBW toms last weekend that topped 40 lbs.
I doubt that "parthenogenetically derived eggs" would be able to meet the demands of a commercial production operation. Turkeys also have that ability to store sperm for 4-6 weeks to fertilize the eggs they produce.