Black Slate or Black Spanish?

[Alaska animal lover]

I received a cackle surprise box today and I’m not sure which breed I ended up with here.

 

[R2elk]

I received a cackle surprise box today and I’m not sure which breed I ended up with here.

There is no such thing as a Black Slate. Breeding two Slates together can produce Blacks but they do not carry the Slate (D) gene. Slates are heterozygous for the dominant Slate gene (Dd) and homozygous for the Black gene (BB). Breeding Slates (BB Dd) together can produce 3 different outcomes, more Slates (BB Dd), Self Blues (BB DD) and Blacks (BB dd).

If you breed the Blacks together, they will never produce any Slates because they do not have a dominant Slate (D) gene.

Spanish Blacks were Black turkeys raised in Spain. Today what some hatcheries are selling as Spanish Blacks are Barred Blacks or some other mix that has at least one dominant Black gene.

If it happens to be a pure Black, it is just a Black turkey even if the parents were Slates.

The APA does not recognize Spanish Black as a variety. They do recognize the variety Black.

 

[R2elk]

I’m not sure which breed I ended up with here.

The breed is Turkey. At this time, the variety appears to be Black.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Okay I was just going by the options on the Cackle hatchery website.

 

[R2elk]

Just proves that they don't know what they are advertising.

The "Black Spanish" they have a photo of is definitely not a pure Black. It is a mixed variety turkey with one Black (B) gene.

The one they show as a "Black Slate" is just a Black and does not carry a Slate (D) gene and cannot be a Black Slate because Black Slates do not exist.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Just proves that they don't know what they are advertising.

The "Black Spanish" they have a photo of is definitely not a pure Black. It is a mixed variety turkey with one Black (B) gene.

The one they show as a "Black Slate" is just a Black and does not carry a Slate (D) gene and cannot be a Black Slate because Black Slates do not exist.

Thank you for the info. I don’t plan to breed it, but I do want to get it a couple of companions. I’m in Alaska so my options are slim. There’s someone local with blue slates hatching now so I’ll likely go that route. I’m okay with just calling it a black turkey.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for the info. I don’t plan to breed it, but I do want to get it a couple of companions. I’m in Alaska so my options are slim. There’s someone local with blue slates hatching now so I’ll likely go that route. I’m okay with just calling it a black turkey.

There's nothing wrong with breeding especially if it is a pure Black.

Crossing a Slate with a Black will produce half Slates and half Blacks. Crossing a Self Blue aka Lavender with a Black with produce all Slates.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

There's nothing wrong with breeding especially if it is a pure Black.

Crossing a Slate with a Black will produce half Slates and half Blacks. Crossing a Self Blue aka Lavender with a Black with produce all Slates.

Interesting. Similar to BBS genetics in chickens. I’ve only raised broad breasted turkeys before. I’m looking forward to learning about these guys.

 

[R2elk]

Interesting. Similar to BBS genetics in chickens. I’ve only raised broad breasted turkeys before. I’m looking forward to learning about these guys.

You can learn a lot about heritage turkeys at Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys.