Lilac Turkeys?

[duluthralphie]

I have never heard of a rusty slate, but that does not mean anything. I know the hen does not have the obvious spots the male does.

It really makes no difference to me what they are, they are my pets, we love them the grandkids love them and they are the official greeters here at the farm.


I understand basic genetic, but I must confess I get lost in a daze with all the stuff I read on turkey threads. They make cute babies together...

Do you know how a "rusty" slate comes about? I was told they were blues when I bought them, but they were in such rough shape from neglect it was hard to tell they were anything.

 

[desertmarcy]

I have never heard of a rusty slate, but that does not mean anything. I know the hen does not have the obvious spots the male does.

It really makes no difference to me what they are, they are my pets, we love them the grandkids love them and they are the official greeters here at the farm.


I understand basic genetic, but I must confess I get lost in a daze with all the stuff I read on turkey threads. They make cute babies together...

Do you know how a "rusty" slate comes about? I was told they were blues when I bought them, but they were in such rough shape from neglect it was hard to tell they were anything.

I enjoy learning turkey color genetics, it is a lot easier than chicken color genetics. Anyway, I did not mean to imply your turkeys aren't nice but people should know what they have, I think, otherwise the offspring could get sold as something they are not and the confusion continues down the line.

The rusty slate can be produced by a simple cross between a Bourbon Red and Self Blue (aka Lavender).
Bourbon Red is a bronze turkey with 2 red genes: b+b+ddrr. Self Blue is a black turkey with 2 slates genes BBDDRR.
So the cross gives you 100% rusty slates Bb+DdRr. I didn't type the complete genotype of the parents, just the genes that make up the rusty slate, everything else is wild type and doesn't come into play.

 

[duluthralphie]

So what would their babies be?

The ones last year died young, (eagle attack) but had wild colors this years are kind of blah. ( only two so far)

 

[desertmarcy]

So what would their babies be?

The ones last year died young, (eagle attack) but had wild colors this years are kind of blah. ( only two so far)

Being heterozygous for 3 different genes, your possibilities are many, you've got 27 different possibilities using Kevin's new turkey calculator which you can link from his website.

 

[retlaw]

Tom is Lilac
First hen back left is Red Slate,
middle hen back is Lilac,
right back hen is Blue Slate.

Ridley Bronze cross Blue Slate.
A few generations.

 

[desertmarcy]

Tom is Lilac
First hen back left is Red Slate,
middle hen back is Lilac,
right back hen is Blue Slate.

Ridley Bronze cross Blue Slate.
A few generations.

I believe what you are calling Lilac is really Lavender or Self Blue. Both those birds look to be uniform color throughout from the photos.

 

[retlaw]

I believe what you are calling Lilac is really Lavender or Self Blue. Both those birds look to be uniform color throughout from the photos.

No. They have a bronze gene.
Only a few come out Lilac and the rest Red slate.

The lilac tom and hen along with the red slate on the left are from the Red slate tom in this thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/893188/my-lilac-experiment My Lilac experiment

While the Blue slate hen on the right is from my original breeding stock from 6 years ago.

I also originally thought I was making Lilacs but was correct by porterturkeys as pointed out in the thread posted above.
I think I have a correct Lilac now.

 

[desertmarcy]

No. They have a bronze gene.
Only a few come out Lilac and the rest Red slate.

The lilac tom and hen along with the red slate on the left are from the Red slate tom in this thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/893188/my-lilac-experiment My Lilac experiment

While the Blue slate hen on the right is from my original breeding stock from 6 years ago.

I also originally thought I was making Lilacs but was correct by porterturkeys as pointed out in the thread posted above.
I think I have a correct Lilac now.

I read that other thread. So that's why yours looks pale. If you are on Facebook, Kevin started a turkey color genetics group there. Great way to post photos and have the expert tell you what you've got. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Turkeycolorgenetics/

 

[retlaw]

Hint of bronze = lilac
More bronze = red slates.

 

[desertmarcy]

Hint of bronze = lilac
More bronze = red slates.

Both of these varieties should be homozygous for bronze but the red slate only has one slate gene, versus two for the lilac, allowing more of the bronze to show through. The red slates are more "slatey", lilacs paler.They are both beautiful IMO.