Did you know…? (about Turkeys)

Am bored  ::) . Let me bore you with some useless information  :tease: ….

Did you know the breed of turkeys i breed is; ‘Ronquieres turkey’?

And did you know……..

That the original turkey is an ancient american animal? The first time turkeys were mentioned is only found in central american tribes at the time of the great conquests. Several old mexican indiantribes held turkeys as pets. Fernando Cortes (1485-1547) who conquested mexico found turkeyfarms with the aztec and maya indians. With them the turkeys were fully domesticated. Cortez took some tame turkeys back with him to europe. From spain the turkeys traveled to italy, engeland, france, belgium and the netherlands. Those that were left in Ronquières (a place near Brussel) were breed on big scale by locals. The Ronquières turkeybreed that was breed as good as only in belgium ànd are direct decendents from this first imports of turkeys from mexico.

Ronquières turkey have been belgianbreed for many centuries since the 15th century, until the first and second worldwar. When the breed seemed to be extinct. Almost everybody thought all the turkeys were either eaten or stolen by the Germans.
Yet 2 flemish brothers managed to breed after the wars again and saved the breed. The Ronquières turkey is the ONLY turkey that comes in different colours. And it is also the ONLY turkey who has a multicolour bird. This ‘multicolour’ or ‘tri-colour’ variaty is called ‘hermelijn’. (like my Josh a Ronquières hermelijn, see pic)
[img width=468 height=351]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/Diesel73/birds/joske2.jpg[/img]

Ronquières turkeys are now up to today still breed in Belgium as they were centuries ago by the aztec and maya’s. Alldus they are wild turkeys, still breed like nature made them. Not overly breed only for the meat with legs groing in an o-shape cause their bones can’t carry the weight, but slimmer and less heavy. They are selectively breed to the original bird as it was. Hence these turkeys can FLY  :yes: . They were always and still are WILD turkeys. They can be domesticated better than any other poultrybird, yet the ‘wild’ you can taste. They taste better, the meat is good, dence and has many fibre.
It is not a heavy turkey, and the meatproduction is not of enormes quantaties but the meat is of outstanding quality. Males weigh about 10-12 kilos, females about 5 to 6. Ronquières excell every other turkey breed when it comes to vitality  and fertility. Breedingresults are very high compared to any other turkeybreed. The hens become broody very easily and take excellent care of their youngens. With adapted babyturkeyfood these little ones grow up very easily and very strong.

For the past few years, due to Belgian export, you can find our Ronquièresturkeys in the netherlands, france and…. engeland  😉 .