The turkey was first discovered in America, in Hebrew it is known as the תר נגול הודו, which literally means “Indian chicken”. It is called the "תרנגול הודו", as when Columbus first discovered America, he mistakenly thought that he had come across a place called הודו (India). In the year 1519 when Hernán Cortés (a Spanish conquistador) conquered Mexico, the Spanish sailors brought over the turkey to Spain. Then in the year 1524 it was brought over to England, and from then it became more popular and widespread throughout Europe and other places throughout the world.
The turkey is very different to a regular chicken: Firstly, the turkey is much bigger. Secondly, a turkey has feathers on its feet, whereas regular chickens don’t. Additionally, the turkey’s neck is much longer than that of a regular chicken, and its voice is also much deeper. Additionally, the crown on the head of a turkey is different to that of a regular chicken.
Because of the above, when the turkey first appeared in Europe, being that it was very different to the regular chicken, and there was no mesorah on it, the poskim at the time had to determine if it was permitted for Jewish consumption.
