Rural Dictionary: Turkey Terms

Posted: 11/1/2018

 

Hen – The female turkey. A hen will lay about 100 eggs in 6 months. Hens don’t gobble, instead they make a clicking noise. Hens are also raised for meat and are most often sold as a whole turkey, like the kind we eat at Thanksgiving.

 

Tom – The male turkey. Males are bigger than females when they are full grown, often weighing in at about 45 pounds. These turkeys are most often used for deli sliced turkey. A tom can father up to 1,500 poults every six months. Only Toms gobble!

 

Poult – A baby turkey. Both hen and tom turkeys are raised for meat, however they are raised separately. After the turkeys are hatched they move to the farm at one day old where farmers ensure they have fresh food and water to get off to a good start.