Joe Hutto's "My Life as a Turkey" on Nature PBS-- fascinating and enthralling

[Archimedes Plutonium]

I was eating supper when this came on, but put it away to watch this story. I had seen it years back. I thought I posted a comment on this story, but seem to not be able to find it.

I am researching cats, myself, and the intelligence of turkeys is what I am looking for and trying to measure in my cats.

My only contact with turkeys was when I lived in Canada for a few months on a farm and they had a large pen for domesticated turkeys. I tried to see who the turkey was that made a call and then quickly, all the others made the call. Joe Hutto may know what that vocalization means. When one sounds off, all the others sound off in unison.

I would not have predicted Turkey boy's fight with Joe at the end there. Probably the male stakes out a region for his domain and Turkey boy saw Joe then as a rival.

But I could easily see that "Sweet Pea" was not going to survive. Which is the sad fact of all ground nesting birds, in my opinion. They are doomed to extinction in a world where so many animals would eat their eggs. Unless humans protect ground nesting birds, they, sadly are doomed to extinction. The time taken to hatch chicks and time to get them able to run is too long of a time in a world where so many predators. I think every ground nesting bird is endangered and on some list of endangered species.

I am researching in cats whether a "friendly cat" gives birth to friendly new cats when fathered by a friendly male cat. Sweet Pea the turkey would be ideal to test this hypothesis out. Instead of Joe letting Sweet Pea nest in the wild, if he had built Sweet Pea a shelter like the farmer in Canada, and put Sweet Pea in that shelter, feeding her sometimes; sometimes letting her walk around. And mating Sweet Pea with a known male Turkey of his original 17, a friendly male. Then, perhaps we could find out if Sweet Pea gives birth to new turkeys, with that lovely personality that Sweet Pea had.

It is hard to tell if humans pass on personality traits in genetics. Much more clear in animals.

So far, the cats borne from a Unfriendly male have all been unfriendly. 

One of my female cats gave birth to 5 kittens and 2 of the females were as friendly as the mother, one of which was super friendly, for all she wanted to do was be around me, I named her "Lover", 2 of the males were as friendly as the mother, but 1 was unfriendly and shy. I need more data to make anything of this.

Joe Hutto's "My Life as a Turkey" on Nature PBS-- fascinating and enthralling

AP

[Archimedes Plutonium]

Now, one feature of this show I was careful to watch is the eggs hatching and how developed they are. The Reason being:: that turtle eggs hatched from 100 eggs usually delivers not 100 baby turtles but only about say 20 out of 100 as the 20 eat the new other 80 hatchlings. In birds, 17 eggs can deliver all 17 chicks, but in a condition that they are not ready to run and save themselves from a predator. 

In this show, is a re-enactment of events. But I question the development of the turkey chick right out of the egg. Does the wild turkey feed the young for a period of time in order for those chicks to walk and run?????? Joe Hutto does not mention whether he fed them for a period of time before they can walk and run.

AP