Why turkeys fan their feathers

Wild female turkeys, or hens, weigh from 5 to 12 pounds and range from 30 to 37 inches long. Hens bear less colorful feathers than males, with rusty brown, white or gray-tipped breast feathers.

Hens do not strut or fan their tails. Females can lay from nine to 13 eggs, which they incubate for around 28 days. Turkeys love to be stroked, petted and cuddled. They will remember your face and if they like you, they will come up to you to greet you. Turkeys also love music and will cluck along with the songs. The male tends to have no head feathers, just a brightly colored head, while the female has feathers on the head.

Male turkeys tend to fan their tails, while female turkeys will not do so, preferring to keep their tail down. The gobble is a loud, rapid gurgling sound made by male turkeys.

The gobble is one of the principal vocalizations of the male wild turkey and is used primarily in the spring to let hens know he is in the area. The most effective firearm shot for a turkey is to the head and neck. He once wrote a letter to his daughter in which he called the turkey "a respectable bird" and went to some lengths to compare it favorably with the bald eagle.

Turkey meat -- especially from the breast -- is low in fat, yet high in protein. Dark meat has more iron, B vitamins, and zinc. If you don't get a chance to eat your fill of turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can still look forward to National Turkey Lovers' Month in June. Conversely, if you're not a big fan of the gala gobbler, you might want to cook just a breast or a boneless roast rather than committing to a whole pounder.

Thaw frozen turkey safely. Either leave it wrapped in the refrigerator one day for every 4 pounds of weight or immerse in cold water, changing every half hour, for 30 minutes per pound. Some new turkey products on the market are designed to be cooked directly from the frozen state -- read package directions carefully. Are you tired of the traditional roast turkey and gravy? Try barbecuing, deep-frying, or smoking your Thanksgiving bird instead. Vegans don't have to give up their love of savory stuffing some say it's the best part of the meal!

They can simply bake their favorite dressing mixture in squash or zucchini halves. Laura Firszt writes for networx. Looking for a Pro? Male droppings are j-shaped; female droppings are spiral-shaped. The larger the diameter, the older the bird. Some hens strut, too. Turkeys can clock 18 miles per hour on foot and up to 50 miles per hour in flight.

Through conservation efforts over the past century, with funds derived from the Pittman-Robertson Act, and thanks to sportsmen and women, there are approximately 6. Turkeys like the open terrain of the longleaf pine sandhill ecosystem along the Florida National Scenic Trail, almost 50 miles of which go through the refuge. You might also see turkeys off Round Oak Juliette Road, a scenic paved byway.

No entrance fee.