Blue slate turkey poult question, with lots of pics

[jc12551]

The hatchery accidentally sent me the wrong box this morning. When I opened it up I found 15 Bourbon red and 5 blue slate poults. SURPRISE!

My question is, why are two of the blue slate poults a lighter color than the other three? One is almost yellow. I know a little about the genetics of a slate turkey.
Sorry the pics are blurry, my camera battery seems to be dying.

The two lighter ones:

A shot of the three darker ones, towards the front:

A shot of a lighter one leaning on a darker one.

 

[Ms.Frizzle]

If the blue genetics are the same as chickens, then it would be a heterozygous gene which results in 25% of black chicks, 50% blue, and 25% white. This could be why, hope this helped.

 

[jc12551]

Anyone else?

 

[SamG347]

Look like Self Blue aka Lavender poults to me.

 

[chickenlover54]

Wow what was supposed to come?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Wow, that was a lucky mistake for you. What a nice surprise.

The lighter one might be lavender. Or it might very well be blue and just has lighter baby feathers. On blue, the double dilute should be splash, and that doesn't look splash to me, so most likely, it is blue, just lighter.

 

[jc12551]

A box of mixed pullets for myself and a student was supposed to come. The hatchery had called on Thursday to tell me a post office in another state had crushed my box and sent it back to them and that the hatchery will reship my pullets on Monday. Then the PO called Friday and said I had a box. I was really confused! There are also 10 dominiques and 13 (living) black tailed white Japanese bantams.

Since I was splitting the original order with my student, I will split the order of turkeys with him. I really want a pair of the blue slate and he would like to have a pair too if we are blessed at least two pair. I will sell off the others b/c I don't have room. I just have to decide how to split the five between two people. We lost one Burbon Red this morning but otherwise we are doing well.

 

[chickenlover54]

I can't describe how lucky I would feel if I got a $150 box of heritage turkeys in the mail.

 

[jc12551]

I will admit to my student and I jumping up and down high-fiving each other like a bunch of dorks in my kitchen.

I have been wanting turkeys but hubby said no (read: I don't want to build another pen and they are too expensive). My student wanted turkeys but his mom said no b/c of the cost. Same goes for wanting to order bantams for both of us. Since we are both vegetarians I guess we shall sell the doms b/c I think they are all roos. We were both seriously unprepared for the arrival of a mixed box. I have them all in my laundry room b/c we had planned to use the outdoor brooder since the temps were in the 90's. Yesterday and today it has been in the 50's and I can't keep them warm enough. I had to empty my toddler's two 18 gal tote toy boxes to make two emergency (cramped) brooders.

I do feel sorry for the lady in GA that didn't get her birds.

 

[Dogfish]

You're in the right place for a bunch of "turkey dorks". Myself included.