What breed?

[GermanChick]

Hey, I picked up this little guy/girl at a local feed store. It only said “mixed turkeys “. This is my first turkey, I put him in with my ducklings and goslings. Anyone have an idea what breed it could be???

Thank you

 

[feedman77]

Bronze

 

[R2elk]

View attachment 1360102 View attachment 1360103 View attachment 1360104 Hey, I picked up this little guy/girl at a local feed store. It only said “mixed turkeys “. This is my first turkey, I put him in with my ducklings and goslings. Anyone have an idea what breed it could be???

Thank you

The breed is Turkey, the variety is a Bronze. It is most likely a Broad Breasted Bronze (meat turkey) but you will have to wait until it is older to determine whether is is a broad breasted or heritage bronze.

 

[GermanChick]

Thx! I hope it’s not a broad breasted meatie. Was hoping for a pet/guard turkey. If it is a broad breasted..... how do you tell the difference, or is it just that obvious? And assuming in that case it will not make a good pet and will have health issues just like meat chickens (Cornish)

 

[R2elk]

Thx! I hope it’s not a broad breasted meatie. Was hoping for a pet/guard turkey. If it is a broad breasted..... how do you tell the difference, or is it just that obvious? And assuming in that case it will not make a good pet and will have health issues just like meat chickens (Cornish)

If it is a broad breasted one, it will grow a lot faster, have heavier legs and become wide in the breast. The broad breasted variety will be mature enough to process at 6 months while a heritage variety will be much narrower in the breast (V shaped) and takes more than a year to reach full size.

Broad breasted turkeys are docile and can be good pets while they live but usually cause heartbreak due to their potential health issues long term.

Turkeys are a flock bird and should not be raised alone. They do best with the company of their own kind. I would not count on a turkey being a guard. I would count on a lone tom raised with chickens to eventually start killing chickens during breeding season when he wants to mate and has no hen turkeys to appease him.