Wild turkeys are also fast on the ground, running at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. A large group of turkeys is called a flock. The gobble is a seasonal call during the Spring and Fall. Hens are attracted for mating when a tom gobbles. Wild toms love to gobble when they hear loud sounds or settle in for the night.
Turkeys have great hearing, a poor sense of smell, but an excellent sense of taste.
Turkeys are fed mainly a balanced diet of corn and soybean meal mixed with a supplement of vitamins and minerals. Mature turkeys have 3,500 or so feathers at maturity. In 1999, about 273 million turkeys were raised in the United States. An estimated 276 million turkeys will be raised in 2000. More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten during Thanksgiving.