Let's talk Turkey (breeds)

[Aliyah]

I had some turkeys and because of my luck, they are all males. I have 2 slates and 1 I am not quite sure of, maybe a Royal Slate. It was supposed to be a slate but clearly isn't. I just got some poults but because of the end of the season they are1 Royal palm, 2 Bronze, and I Narragette. I believe that the new poults are female. I know it is impossible to tell but by sexing their snood, they should be female. My question is, do people hatch mixed breeds of turkeys? Mine will clearly be mixed colors. I really like the males I have and I am so hoping that the new ones are females. If you do raise mixed, do you just raise them to harvest for food or do you see them poults?

 

[Molpet]

Officially the breed is turkey and the variety is bronze ECT.
There are many varieties that aren't common. Porter's has pictures and a calculator for the colors.
https://www.porterturkeys.com/index.htm

 

[R2elk]

I had some turkeys and because of my luck, they are all males. I have 2 slates and 1 I am not quite sure of, maybe a Royal Slate. It was supposed to be a slate but clearly isn't. I just got some poults but because of the end of the season they are1 Royal palm, 2 Bronze, and I Narragette. I believe that the new poults are female. I know it is impossible to tell but by sexing their snood, they should be female. My question is, do people hatch mixed breeds of turkeys? Mine will clearly be mixed colors. I really like the males I have and I am so hoping that the new ones are females. If you do raise mixed, do you just raise them to harvest for food or do you see them poults?

There is no such thing as a Royal Slate. I assume you have one Narragansett.

Lots of people hatch mixed variety poults. Two of the mixed varieties that I hatch and sell are Tri-color Mottled Black and Tri-color Mottled Slate.

Anyone who breeds a Blue Slate to a Blue Slate hatches multiple varieties because Blue Slate do not breed true. A pair of Blue Slates will produce 50% Blue Slate, 25% Black and 25% Self Blue aka Lavender.

Check out Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys to see many of the different varieties. Learn to use his Turkey Color Calculator to be able to predict possible outcomes from different matings.

 

[Aliyah]

There is no such thing as a Royal Slate. I assume you have one Narragansett.

Lots of people hatch mixed variety poults. Two of the mixed varieties that I hatch and sell are Tri-color Mottled Black and Tri-color Mottled Slate.

Anyone who breeds a Blue Slate to a Blue Slate hatches multiple varieties because Blue Slate do not breed true. A pair of Blue Slates will produce 50% Blue Slate, 25% Black and 25% Self Blue aka Lavender.

Check out Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys to see many of the different varieties. Learn to use his Turkey Color Calculator to be able to predict possible outcomes from different matings.

I called it a Royal Slate because I am assuming that is the two breeds that it may be from. I don't believe Narragansett was a breed they had on that farm. It does favor a very white Narragansett. I will check out the sites you sent me. Thank you.

 

[R2elk]

I called it a Royal Slate because I am assuming that is the two breeds that it may be from. I don't believe Narragansett was a breed they had on that farm. It does favor a very white Narragansett. I will check out the sites you sent me. Thank you.

All domestic turkeys are the breed Turkey.

Depending on which is the father:

Royal Palm tom mated with Blue Slate hen can produce

Mottled Black
Mottled Slate
Tri-color Mottled Black
Tri-color Mottled Black

Blue Slate tom mated with Royal Palm hen can produce

Tri-color Mottled Black
Tri-color Mottled Slate

 

[Aliyah]

Thank you for letting me know about Porter's rare Heritage Color Calculator. I haven't figured out what my Jake actually is but I know that none of them are straight-up slate. After looking through the pictures and combination there is no way they are BB Dd. They have to be bb Db or Bb Db with some other variations. I can't wait to see what combos I can come up with. As someone with a science degree, this is fascinating. I had no idea that this was how people breed turkeys. WOW!!

 

[Aliyah]

OK, after giving him a really good look and compared to all the Porter breeds, my mystery Jake is a Royal Palm with a little brown on his tail feathers. It is very similar to the tail of an Oregan Gray. As a poult, he did resemble a slate which is what he was supposed to be. Weird, IDK what to make of it.

 

[R2elk]

OK, after giving him a really good look and compared to all the Porter breeds, my mystery Jake is a Royal Palm with a little brown on his tail feathers. It is very similar to the tail of an Oregan Gray. As a poult, he did resemble a slate which is what he was supposed to be. Weird, IDK what to make of it.

If it has Royal Palm colors plus brown, it is a Tri-color. Royal Palms are only black and white.

 

[Aliyah]

If it has Royal Palm colors plus brown, it is a Tri-color. Royal Palms are only black and white.

I agree. I was trying to figure out if he had some Narraganette in him but I saw him all puff up today and he has so much white in him. From a distance he looks like a Royal palm, you have to get closer to see the brown. I don't know what they mixed him with but he seems to be larger than a Royal Palm. He is the largest bird I have so whatever it was, it is working for him. I like it.

 

[R2elk]

I agree. I was trying to figure out if he had some Narraganette in him but I saw him all puff up today and he has so much white in him. From a distance he looks like a Royal palm, you have to get closer to see the brown. I don't know what they mixed him with but he seems to be larger than a Royal Palm. He is the largest bird I have so whatever it was, it is working for him. I like it.

If it has a red color gene, it would be a Calico. Did they have any Bourbon Reds.