Popular Breeds of Turkey By: Susan Gardner

White Holland or Broad Breasted Whites

This is a commercial production breed which is the most likely type of turkey to end up on your dinner table.  Its features reflect the purpose for which it has been bred; meat production.  It is one of the largest turkeys, with toms weighing in around 35 pounds.  Its white feathers make it easier to prepare for consumption because there are no dark feather follicles remaining once it is plucked.  This breed bears little resemblance to its slender wild cousins, and because of its size, cannot fly, and is even too large to mate.  Reproduction occurs through artificial insemination. If chosen as a pet or barnyard bird, the White Holland is docile and can be easily tamed.  It also moves quite slowly, so it is easy to catch, even as a poult.  They are impressive-looking birds, adorned in patriotic color of stark white feathers and bright red and blue head of the toms.   Their size alone really makes them stand out.  They make wonderful pets; but if space is limited, another smaller breed might be a better choice. Bronze or Broad Breasted Bronze  Except for its color, this breed is very similar to the Broad Breasted White in size, stature, and purpose.  It has the traditional dark colors with sheens of brownish-bronze and cream-colored bands in its tail.  Like the Whites, the bronze toms weigh in at around 35 pounds, and are very friendly and docile.  They also make very good pets, as long as space is available. Bourbon Red This breed is quite popular with turkey enthusiasts because of its beautiful colors and easy-going personality.  Its body is a dark reddish-brown color with white on the wing tips and tail feathers.  The Bourbon Red is also a fairly large bird, with the toms weighing in at up to 33 pounds and hens generally around half the weight of the toms.   Royal Palm The Royal Palm is a very handsome bird, with primarily white body feathers and black highlights on the feather tips, back, and black bands on the tail.  They are small to medium-sized birds, with the toms weighing in at around 21lbs.  They are beautiful birds, but in my experience, are not as quite as affectionate as some of the other breeds.  They are more self-sufficient, kind of like the comparison between a cat’s relationship to its owner, and a dog’s.  Not unfriendly; just a little more reserved.   Narragansett The Narragansett is a beautiful turkey of medium size, with color patterns of gray and black on the body and light brown on the tail.  They are nice birds all the way around, and I am always surprised more people do not raise them.  You cannot go wrong with the Narragansett. Eastern Wild There are a few other strains of Wilds beside the Eastern, such as the RioGrande and Meridian, but the Eastern seems to be the most common.  They are smaller than domestics, with toms weighing up to 24lbs., and they can fly quite well.  They can be just as tame and affectionate as the domestic breeds, although they are not quite as flashy in appearance as some of the domestics.  Before purchasing any wild fowl, however, be sure to check with your state’s wildlife officers to see if your state allows the keeping of wild turkeys and if a permit is necessary. Beltsville White or Midget White This little turkey is the A bantam @ of the turkey world. It is the smallest breed with toms weighing only up to 20lbs.  They are all white, with toms having a red and blue head, just like the White Holland, only smaller.  I have never owned one of these little guys, but I have been told that they are also a little weak in the personality and temperament departments. A few other breeds are the Spanish Black, Blue Slate, New Jersey Buff, and Lil.   General Turkey Facts Turkey eggs are a creamy beige color and often have light brown specks.  They take 28 days of incubation to hatch. Baby turkeys are called poults. Male turkeys that are older than a year are called toms; younger ones are called jakes.  Females are called hens and generally weigh about half as much as their male counterparts. The fleshy thing hanging down from the upper part of a turkey’s beak is called a snood.  Toms have longer snoods than hens and some researchers believe that hens are attracted to the tom with the longest snood. When a tom is courting, he will puff his feathers and tail up and strut slowly around the object of his affections.  His head and neck will turn bright red, and the area around his eyes will turn a lovely shade of blue. His snood will also get bright red and stretch down to a surprising length. Turkeys are very curious and will peck at anything that catches their attention, like jewelry, buttons, and EYEBALLS!  When handling turkeys, or any fowl for that matter, NEVER put your face near theirs.  They just might peck at your eyes or even your teeth. They are also notorious for snatching earrings right off an unsuspecting ear, as I so painfully learned after the loss of one of my best pearl earrings.  Enjoy these beautiful birds, but enjoy them safely! Article written by: Susan Gardner For use on The Gander Gab sites ONLY. If you would like to use any part of this article contact Susan at: [email protected]