Heritage & Exhibition Turkey Thread

[Arielle]

THanks Jen. We looked online and found pics of ducks with angle wing. THe angle is extrerme and totally 90 degrees from the body. No info on the age of the ducks or how long they have been that way. I also found pics of turkeys on BYC and Lagordogger said these were normal wings even if pointing well away from the body, about 30 degrees.

While they most likely don't have angel wing, unless this is the beginning of it, that my auburns are looking different than the other turkeys. Much to learn.

ON another another note; we went to a 4H fair and of course had to visit the poultry and rabbit tent. So many well prepared birds, including two turkeys!!! I suspect that one turkey was mislabeled by the exhibitor. A pretty pale buff turkey that isn't the same medium red of my BR turkeys. Perhaps different lines develop the red at different rates?

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Oh, the horror of it all!



Millions of innocent turkeys killed by humans just for a single meal.



Can't wait to taste that delicious bird.



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

[psue]

Oh, the horror of it all!



Millions of innocent turkeys killed by humans just for a single meal.



Can't wait to taste that delicious bird.



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours also!

 

[Arielle]

What a surprise I didn't know Dr Hawes had turkeys??? He mentioned chickens but not turkeys! Maybe he just took the photo?

Happy Turkey Day to All!!!! We are eating grocery store birds as my kids are boycotting home raised birds at the moment.

Wanted to share: Went to a show last weekend and I had the only turkeys-- all in the sale area and sold the two BR hens to a young boy. Love to see kids interested in birds!

 

[15littlem]

Which breed would feather out quicker, Merriam's or Narragansett?

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Which breed would feather out quicker, Merriam's or Narragansett?

1) Turkeys do not have breeds, but varieties. Turkey is the breed.

2) Merriam's are a wild type variety. Narragansett is one of the oldest known varieties, developed over 400 years ago. Wild type usually takes longer to develop and mature than domestic type. they are also much smaller.

3) Have never heard of any studies on this. I would suggest you order both varieties and do your own "study". Then report back to use which variety feathers out quicker.

 

[TV]

So called varieties of turkeys clearly meet the defintion of breed.
Breed specific characteristics also known as breed traits are inherited, and purebreed animals pass such traits from generation to generation. Thus, all specimens of the same breed carry several genetic characteristics of the original foundation animal(s). In order to maintain the breed, a breeder would select those animals with the most desirable traits, to achieve further maintenance and developing of such traits. At the same time, avoiding animals carrying characteristics, not typical and/or undesirable for the breed, known as faults or defects.
If I breed a Midget white to a Midget white I get more Midget whites, and if I breed a Bourbon red to a Bourbon red I get more Bourbon reds which are vastly different than Midget whites. So I would say the terminology of breed or variety in turkeys is interchangeable with the term breed actualy being more correct. An example of variety would be white and brown Leghorns.

 

[Lagerdogger]

Ahhh. The old breed vs variety question. If you cross a standard bronze with a Bourbon red, you get red bronzes. If you cross red bronzes, you get standard bronze, red bronze, and Bourbon red. All the birds are about the same size and shape, and we are just playing with colors like the colors of a Labrador retriever.

But midget whites have been bred for specific traits, namely dinky. And white Hollands have larger breasts and shorter legs. Royal palms are also smaller and have distinctly less breast meat. These are traits that go beyond just color varieties. I would think that someone breeding white Hollands would be very disappointed if midget white were accidentally introduced into the flock. Why? Because the traits that have been bred for would be reduced or lost. They would still have white turkeys, but they wouldn't have white Hollands. Crossing a black Lab with a black poodle still gives you a black dog, but its no longer a Labrador retriever.

Certainly the birds we are talking about are all turkey the species. I think you could argue that standard bronze and Bourbon red and Narragansetts are just different colors or varieties of domesticated turkeys. But when turkeys are bred for other traits, such as white Hollands and midget whites, then they probably should be considered different breeds.

A definition from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/breed. A group of organisms having common ancestors and certain distinguishable characteristics, especially a group within a species developed by artificial selection and maintained by controlled propagation.

According to this definition, one could easily argue that any domesticated turkey with colors that breed true (homozygous at all color loci) is a breed. And turkeys with secondary traits like short legs would definitely be a separate breed.

 

[ivan3]

An earlier thread with more `breed/variety' for one's reading pleasure:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/555316/breeds-varieties-and-strains-of-poultry

 

[Arielle]

My 2 cents-- breed or variety -- the import genetic difference is how close the birds are genetically. I don't care what name is used as long as we all understand each other. In horses we call it breeds, distinct , separate books listing dam and sire; sometimes a horse is moved to another breed for improvement purposes, but this is not allowed in many of the breed associations. THe term " breeds" works for me regarding turkeys.

If I have narrigansetts and they are supposed to be a 400 year old " breed" then I expect they do not have other types of turkey bred into them only for color purposes. Groups of animals breed and selected over generations develop traits beyond just color.

THere can be justifiable purposes for breeding in other breeds of turkey, maybe there needs to be more mothering ability, or increase in egg viability; but IMO this information is quickly forgotten about or not given to other breeders who acquire stock.

Just my 2 cents worth from the few years of poultry and YEARS of breeding horses.