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November 27, 2003
Not So Dumb
A poultry scientist from Oregon State University is trying to convince people that turkeys aren't so dumb.
"I've always viewed turkeys as smart animals with personality and character, and keen awareness of their surroundings," Savage said. "The 'dumb' tag simply doesn't fit."
I don't know about domestic turkeys, but anyone who's hunted wild turkeys would agree they are definitely keenly aware of their surroundings....and smarter than they look.
Growing up, we often had an assortment of wild turkeys that my mother "rescued" and returned to the wild. I can tell you that not only are they fairly smart for birds, they're also mean as a red hog. At least the young males are. All they want to do is fight. Ever been flogged by a wild turkey? I have. It. Hurts. Think about it. Those large wings produce enough force to lift a 20+ lb. bird off the ground. And they also have spurs on their legs....about an inch long. A pissed off wild turkey is a formidible opponent.
Fortunately, they're afraid of fly swatters. We had this one old turkey once that had imprinted on my dad....followed my dad everywhere. And this old turkey would attack anyone who got around my dad. So to talk to my dad if he was outside, you had to carry a fly swatter around to smack the turkey with. If you didn't, he'd chase you until you ran back into the house.
That old turkey would come at you all fuzzed up on the attack and you'd have to smack him in the head with a fly swatter a couple of times. He'd turn and run then....straight to my dad's lap. He'd jump up in my dad's lap, hide his head under my dad's arm & wouldn't budge for the longest time. Pretty funny.
So they're not so dumb after all.
Posted by Rita at November 27, 2003 03:56 PM
Comments
Sounds dumb to me. :-)
Posted by: Keith at November 27, 2003 10:03 PM
Between posts like this and your "chickens is stupid" posts, I have a very Ellie-Mae vision of your upbringing. Funny as hell, don't get me wrong, but it's very "dusty bare ankles".
May I be so bold as to ask why a red hog in particular is more angry than, say, a pink hog? What makes them red in the first place?
Rita, you truly are a fascinating specimen. Res ipsa loquitur, indeed.
Posted by: picklejuice at November 27, 2003 11:54 PM
Not so dumb Keith. He knew if he got in my dad's lap, my dad would protect him. It was sure funny seeing a grown turkey try to hide under my dad's arm though.
Dusty bare feet would be a more accurate description Natalie. I grew up on a farm way out in the boonies, a shore 'nuff hillbilly. My mother was always rescuing wild animals. At one time or another we've had a fox squirrel, a flying squirrel, chipmunks, raccoons, a mink, baby deer, rabbits and wild turkeys roaming around the house...not to mention runt pigs, baby chickens and assorted dogs. It was great fun! Except the mink. He was a nasty, ill-tempered little bastard.
Hogs are many different colors, just like cows. There's brown ones, black ones, white ones, black & white ones and red ones. The red ones are supposedly meaner, though I don't know why.
Posted by: Rita at November 28, 2003 07:51 AM
Hogs with red bristles are meaner...same applies to women.
What kind of traitor WAS your mom, anyway? I will not countenance a turkey sympathizer.
Posted by: Steve H. at November 28, 2003 10:07 AM
She's an avid turkey hunter and was uh, "assisting" with the turkey re-population in our area. So now she doesn't have to drive so far to hunt....just to the back 40 so to speak.
Posted by: Rita at November 28, 2003 10:51 AM