A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Beccatrix]

The APA standard calls for browns eyes in all turkeys. The black based turkeys have blue eyes. Therefore it is the standard that is wrong. Blue Slates are black based (BB) and have blue eyes. If they had brown eyes they would not be (BB) and would not be Blue Slates.

That's really interesting! Thank you for the information!

 

[Beccatrix]

These boys will get a Thanksgiving pardon, but 3 should be ready before Christmas. All 5 look good to me. I have one mellow boy (front) that doesn't scuffle with the others and spends a lot of time strutting. I have another who spends a lot of time with the hens and is good at staying out of fights. He really only "inflates" when he's worried. I think they're my keepers. The other 3 are similar in size. One tends to pick fights with the jakes and jennies; he's definitely dinner.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

These boys will get a Thanksgiving pardon, but 3 should be ready before Christmas. All 5 look good to me. I have one mellow boy (front) that doesn't scuffle with the others and spends a lot of time strutting. I have another who spends a lot of time with the hens and is good at staying out of fights. He really only "inflates" when he's worried. I think they're my keepers. The other 3 are similar in size. One tends to pick fights with the jakes and jennies; he's definitely dinner.

Those are some beautiful boys. I also have a tom who spends a majority of his time strutting, so much so even to the point when he’s eating he’ll be puffed, but he’s also somehow managed to be the top tom out of all my turkeys, perhaps why he’s always strutting. I’ve seen the guy strut and drum mid-fight with other toms.

 

[Beccatrix]

Those are some beautiful boys. I also have a tom who spends a majority of his time strutting, so much so even to the point when he’s eating he’ll be puffed, but he’s also somehow managed to be the top tom out of all my turkeys, perhaps why he’s always strutting. I’ve seen the guy strut and drum mid-fight with other toms.

Don't hate the player....

I haven't heard them drum yet! They're just turning 6 months. I was hoping we could get them to dance to drum beats.

 

[R2elk]

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Don't hate the player....

I haven't heard them drum yet! They're just turning 6 months. I was hoping we could get them to dance to drum beats.

Mine have been doing so for months, some of which had started drumming as early as 1.5-2 months old. I was told by a relative that hunts that they should only do it around breeding season, I believe he was basing it off wild turkeys, but whatever his thoughts were, they certainly don’t seem to apply to my turkeys, who find it acceptable to strut and drum year-round.

 

[Molpet]

Mine have been doing so for months, some of which had started drumming as early as 1.5-2 months old. I was told by a relative that hunts that they should only do it around breeding season, I believe he was basing it off wild turkeys, but whatever his thoughts were, they certainly don’t seem to apply to my turkeys, who find it acceptable to strut and drum year-round.

Dominant male of same species intimidate young males

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Dominant male of same species intimidate young males

Is this meant to be an answer as to why wild turkeys only drum in breeding season or as to why mine began so early?
Because mine who began early were not kept with adults, they were in a separate cage and unable to see each other.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

This morning my 3 eldest toms, alongside a barred chocolate female and somewhere between 6-9 guineas decided to venture their way up to the back porch from the section of the yard they free-range. Only realized they were there because “Jack” the black tom decided to start gobbling. They got free food out of their venture though, and stayed in the back portion of the yard for the rest of the day.

 

[austria89]

The APA standard calls for brown eyes in all turkeys. The black based turkeys have blue eyes. Therefore it is the standard that is wrong. Blue Slates are black based (BB) and have blue eyes. If they had brown eyes they would not be (BB) and would not be Blue Slates.

Blue eyes are most common in black-based whites.
All my Slates have brown eyes.