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Turkey Takeover

Mulberry Lane Farm stopped by NBC26 with a few special guests!

By Brooke Hafs

CREATED Nov. 20, 2012

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  • Bonnie Keyes from Mulberry Lane Farm stopped by NBC26 with a few special guests! Video by nbc26.com

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Green Bay, WI - Bonnie Keyes from Mulberry Lane Farm stopped by NBC26 TODAY with a few special guests!

 
Guinea Fowl

 
- A full grown male guinea is called a guinea rooster. The female is called a guinea hen. The baby is called a keet.

 
- Both sexes look and act alike and mate for life. The male may have a larger helmet and larger wattles than the female. 

 
- Guinea fowl control ticks, grasshoppers, box elder bugs, flies, and all other insects.  Their call will discourage rodents.  They will kill and eat mice and small rats.

 
- Guineas are the farm yard watch dog, sounding the alarm whenever anything unusual occurs. 

 
- Although guineas are able to fly, they often choose to run vs. taking flight.

 
- They are light weight typically weighing between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds and live 10-15 years.

 
Turkeys

 
- A full grown male turkey is called a tom (or gobbler), the female a hen and the baby turkey is called a poult.

 
- Only the tom turkey gobbles. Hens make a deep chirp or clicking noise.

 
- Caruncles are fleshy outgrowths located on the neck and head of the turkey.  During courtship the caruncles turn bright red.

 
- Turkeys have great hearing with no external ears but rather holes on the side of their head.

 
- Male domestic turkeys have been known to get as heavy as 86 pounds. A full grown wild turkey will only get 8-24 lbs.

 
- The average lifespan for a domesticated turkey is ten years.

 
- The average weight of a Thanksgiving turkey is 10-15 lbs. Guinea fowl taste much like pheasant or chicken but because of their small size you'll probably want to roast a turkey this Thanksgiving.