Some children want a dog or cat to be their playmate every day. But some consider rare animals to be their pets. Many of you may find it unusual to have a turkey as a pet. But FYI, for decades, turkeys have been kept as pets. In fact, Abraham Lincoln’s son kept a turkey as the White House’s first turkey mascot due to his turkey social demeanor.

Farm Sanctuary, one of the animal welfare groups, testified that turkeys are intelligent and highly social animals. They can be compared to dogs when it comes to companionship and reliability. Former US President George W. Bush once pointed out in his 2001 Thanksgiving national introductory speech that keeping turkeys as pets is an old and still-existing tradition of the generation and recommended continuing it.

There are two types of turkeys according to their breed and their behavior. One is the wild turkey and the other is the domestic turkey. Domestic turkeys are those that are born and live on a commercial poultry farm where they are only intended for Thanksgiving dinner. They are fed with pellets and other commercial artificial feed. Domestic turkeys do not have the ability to fly as they are only kept in cages and given food and warmth every day without allowing them to exercise their wings. They are not known for any intelligence abilities, unlike wild turkeys.

Don’t be afraid to keep wild turkeys as pets because of their name. It is because of their turkey behavior that some consider them pets. They are called wild turkeys because they are born in the wild and live naturally with no restrictions on what to eat and do. They can fly since they are born free. Some believe that they are smarter than domestics, which is why many prefer them as pets.

It is also best if you will keep a male and female turkey to keep your turkeys happy and lively. The usual turkey behavior of a wild male turkey is loud clucking and clucking. They also devour and fluff their feathers when they want to mate with a female turkey. They will spread their wings while devouring tremendously for the female to notice. You will also notice that they will run from one side to the other. It is an additional attraction strategy to get the female. These are common signs that the hen or turkey is ready to mate. Next, you will identify who is the dominant cat and who is not. Commonly, the dominant male turkey will be the first to mate, while the others will simply attempt to get a mate when the dominant is not around or looking.