Turkeys are not much celebrated for their beauty. This study exemplifies that non-celebration:
“Gross Appearance of Turkey Cloacae Before and After Single or Multiple Manual Semen Collections,” M.R. Bakst and H.C. Cecil, Poultry Science, vol. 62, no. 4, April 1, 1983, pp. 683-9. The authors explain:
“The gross appearance of the turkey cloaca was examined before and after single or multiple semen collections. All cloacae exhibited some degree of hemorrhage formation, the extent of which was dependent upon 1) frequency of semen collection, 2) number of cloacal strokes, and 3) individual differences in semen collectors’ techniques. Cloacae of males subjected to multiple semen collections of more than four cloacal strokes per semen collection were the most severely injured.”
(Thanks to Becky Williams and Tim Arnow for bringing this to our attention.)
BACKGROUND: Here is a discussion, by students from the Animal Science 200 class at the University of Alberta, about semen collection from turkeys and other animals. The discussion begins with the question, “What is AI?”: