Turkeys are a large bird native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey of Mexico. The domesticated turkeys we farm all originate from the wild turkey species. The gobbler (male) is even larger than the hen (female) and has a snood, which is a fleshy wattle hanging from the top of his beak. When the male is in a relaxed state, the snood is pale and short. However, when he begins his courtship display (strutting), a rush of blood engorges the snood making it redder and elongated, hanging well below the beak. It also often appears swollen and bright blue during this time. The long-snooded males seem to have a resistance to coccidial infection, an intestinal protozoan parasite, and overall stronger immune systems due to the higher presence of red blood cells in their snood. This explains why in dyadic scientific observations females show preference to long-snooded males, which are also avoided by other males. It must be noted that turkeys can fly short distances, so if you plan to keep turkeys, clipping one feather or housing them in a fully enclosed area must be considered. Our turkeys at Agia Skepi farm are a collection of rare and stunning colours, including Royal Palm, Narragansett, Auburn and a mix of those. In addition, we breed the rare blue (slate) variety of turkeys. These birds can be used as pets due to their gentle nature, but also for their delicious meat and unique large speckled eggs, which are very nutritious.