Best Black Spanish Turkey Breeders

[Cherie1n2]

After having turkey for a few years now, I've decided to go with a pure breeding flock and want to use Black Spanish Turkey. I don't want hatching eggs.

Any recommendations for a breeder or hatchery to get a good foundation stock?

 

[R2elk]

After having turkey for a few years now, I've decided to go with a pure breeding flock and want to use Black Spanish Turkey. I don't want hatching eggs.

Any recommendations for a breeder or hatchery to get a good foundation stock?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/966414/a-century-of-turkey-talk-2000-2100/10050#post_17730368

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Porters turkeys has decent birds.

 

[R2elk]

Porters turkeys has decent birds.

Porter's only sells Blacks. He does not sell Spanish Blacks.

http://www.porterturkeys.com/black.htm

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Porter's only sells Blacks.  He does not sell Spanish Blacks.

http://www.porterturkeys.com/black.htm

Spanish black is one term used for black turkeys.


Edited by Staff

 

[Indyshent]

Porter's only sells Blacks. He does not sell Spanish Blacks.

http://www.porterturkeys.com/black.htm

Spanish Black=Norfolk Black=Black. There's no difference anymore, if there ever really was. There are no specific standards for one or another kind of Black turkey---per ALBC.

If you want the original foundation stock for black turkeys, you'd have to go to Mexico, which is where those original black turkeys were bred. However, Native Americans had much smaller turkeys as foundation stock, so many are only eight to twelve pounds or so. Blame the settlers crossing that stock (after an intermission in Europe) to the Eastern wild for the much larger, tastier stock you can show. That allowed for the 30+lb birds (which is what the Black turkey tom should be about when mature). So, you're not really ever going to show a pure Norfolk or Spanish black because the breed had to have been crossed with Eastern wilds after coming to the east coast in order to meet the breed requirement. Terribly funny to me

 

[Indyshent]

By the way, I'm considering specializing in black turkeys, too. They're showable, and the two I have are very hardy, alert, curious, funny--and large--girls. Don't have a tom yet.

I'm also really enjoying my chocolate jenny, who has all the qualities I just mentioned for blacks--except she's not as big and not showable (chocolates are just too rare, apparently).