Monday, August 19th 2013

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Not to split fine hairs, but if changing the title it might be better to use poultry and fowl. Poultry includes turkeys, chickens, and for some, ducks. However, most consider ducks to be fowl because they are waterfowl and because of their feet. Which lets me segue to the difference between poultry, i.e., chickens and turkeys and fowl. Chickens and turkeys are known for their soft feet, smooth skin, and soft cartilage at the end of the breastbone (chickens are also known for their high intelligence <g>). Fowl has coarser skin, squarish feet, and a rigid breastbone. Poultry has light and dark meat, whereas fowl does not.
 
Technically, the difference is that the term poultry is an umbrella term in English (sometimes referred to extension in terminology in the field of translation) to cover all domestic fowl raised for meat or eggs. Fowl is used for wild birds--geese, duck, turkeys, partridge, etc. So the title "poultry" does include domestic geese and ducks, fowl however, would not include domestic geese, ducks, turkeys, or the chicken. So if I were to translate "fowl" to another language, it would not necessarily have the same degree of extension in the target language. That's where the fine hair comes in. However, for those who consider ducks and geese to be fowl based on the differences mentioned above (and the fact that turkeys and chickens are "non-flight birds"), a more user friendly title for the sub-forum might still be poultry and fowl given the suggestion to change the title of the sub-forum from poultry to fowl. This way, it would also include wild ducks, geese, etc.
 
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...(and the fact that turkeys and chickens are "non-flight birds")...

I take it that is in reference to migration? Because I've seen an OH turkey take off right in front of my eyes in our first backyard (the hunter-neighbor behind me dared say it wasn't a turkey - ha, he saw it a few days later and had to eat crow) and I've watched the turkeys that used to visit us for food fly up into our trees in our yard. I'll admit, though, that those same turkeys sure could run at a good clip when they wanted to put distance between them selves and something else. They also ran like crazy when they would see me head out the side door of our garage carrying the corn bucket - they would beat me to their "dining table", a huge flat rock in the back yard. :ROFLMAO:
 
As I understand it, domestic turkeys don't fly well, but they fly better than chickens. The reason there is white meat on turkeys and chickens ahs to do with the fact those muscles (breast, wing, back) are not used as much as the legs which are the source of the dark meat. I won't get into the physiology of the differences in the muscle tissue. Wild turkeys, from my observation, need a "runway" before they can take flight. Geese and ducks do not. My boarder is a registered vet tech, specialized in wildlife. He has already taught me so much about birds--including the fact that only pigeons can swallow--chickens cannot which is why they lift their beaks to the sky when they drink.
 
I take it that is in reference to migration? Because I've seen an OH turkey take off right in front of my eyes in our first backyard (the hunter-neighbor behind me dared say it wasn't a turkey - ha, he saw it a few days later and had to eat crow) and I've watched the turkeys that used to visit us for food fly up into our trees in our yard. I'll admit, though, that those same turkeys sure could run at a good clip when they wanted to put distance between them selves and something else. They also ran like crazy when they would see me head out the side door of our garage carrying the corn bucket - they would beat me to their "dining table", a huge flat rock in the back yard. :ROFLMAO:
No, the non-flight reference refers to the fact that chickens and turkeys, at least the ones I've observed, once they reach their adult weight, can only fly very short distances and close to the ground, and only long enough to hopefully get them to cover away from a predator. Some breeds of chickens are better flyers than others. Mine are all medium weight, so they can fly some, but not like bantams or silkies. Heavy breeds are even less likely to be able to fly. My girls weigh 4-6 lb. Heavy breeds are around 8 lb +. I don't have any of those, so I really don't know much about them.

My girls are better at vertical flight than horizontal. But, when they are getting ready to go "up" they look at the ground, assess all angles and "things" they can hop up on to achieve that perch that is 6 ft + off the ground. When they were at the farm, they would get on the tractor and then from there take vertical flight to land on the ladder to the loft or the canoe that hangs from the ceiling. They are, however, very adapt at hopping up and down steps.
 
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