Panamah
11-29-2003, 03:45 PM
Good article: http://www.sciencenews.org/20031129/food.asp
Reason #1: No sex for joo!
The narrowing of breeding lines, for the sake of producing a consistent product, has come at the price of the birds' ability to survive off the farm. For instance, the quick-growing birds develop such large breasts that males can no longer mount females. So they are totally dependent on human-managed artificial insemination for their reproduction. The birds have also become increasingly vulnerable to pathogens, Russell notes.
Reason #2: No running marathons
For instance, Russell notes, as late as the 1950s, many turkeys were driven to market by the hundreds or thousands, much like cattle. "That's where the dance—turkey trot—comes from," he explains—from the birds' gait as they were herded to market, sometimes over distances of 100 or more miles. "But with the modern broad-breasted turkey," he contends, "if you tried to drive them anywhere, they'd either go down [from weak] legs or die from a heart attack within in the first half mile."
Reason #3: Life expectancy
Modern broad-breasted turkeys have been bred for tenderness and rapid weight gain, which allows them to go to market fast. Most are killed at about 16 weeks, but some poultry producers slaughter the birds as early as 8 weeks after hatching.
Reason #1: No sex for joo!
The narrowing of breeding lines, for the sake of producing a consistent product, has come at the price of the birds' ability to survive off the farm. For instance, the quick-growing birds develop such large breasts that males can no longer mount females. So they are totally dependent on human-managed artificial insemination for their reproduction. The birds have also become increasingly vulnerable to pathogens, Russell notes.
Reason #2: No running marathons
For instance, Russell notes, as late as the 1950s, many turkeys were driven to market by the hundreds or thousands, much like cattle. "That's where the dance—turkey trot—comes from," he explains—from the birds' gait as they were herded to market, sometimes over distances of 100 or more miles. "But with the modern broad-breasted turkey," he contends, "if you tried to drive them anywhere, they'd either go down [from weak] legs or die from a heart attack within in the first half mile."
Reason #3: Life expectancy
Modern broad-breasted turkeys have been bred for tenderness and rapid weight gain, which allows them to go to market fast. Most are killed at about 16 weeks, but some poultry producers slaughter the birds as early as 8 weeks after hatching.