Midget White Turkeys

[Arielle]

For some inexplicable reason I am drawn to the Midget White TUrkey. Perhaps it it that they originated in Massachusetts, or it is that they are a mini BBW. Ultimately I keep confusing them with the Beltsville White. Each of the hatcheries I looked at used a photo that I was certain was a Beltsville not a MW.I would like to identify several sources of verifiable MW separate from the Beltsvilles.

THis article indicates that they are wide chested birds, double breasted almost, 60-80 eggs that are very large.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/history-midget-white-turkey.aspx

 

[frank53061]

Are you raising MW now.
I am thinking of adding some to my flock.

 

[Arielle]

Hi Frank-- Happy Thanksgiving!!

I don't have the MW because they are so often lumped with the Beltsville. Both are small whiwte turkeys but from what I read, their body shape is different. For all my work and effort,I want to have the real deal.

 

[frank53061]

For some reason I had the mind set they were the size of a big chicken but from what I can see from videos there not much different from your normal Turkey at least looking at them with there feathers on.
As something different I was hoping to get some the size of a big chicken that would grow fairly fast and would be your nearly chicken size as far as cooking.
I am with you if there not worth the effort or nothing really special why bother.

 

[Arielle]

seems a key selectionpoint is that these need to be selected for smallness. I suspect like most animals humans have played with, the extremes try to move to the center on a bell curve. Left to their own selection, these birds morph back to the original sizes.

THe faster growth of the BBW parent strain has my interest. I find my heritage birds rather lacking in the muscling I expect from even a heritage breed. Years of neglect I expect.

 

[Arielle]

International poultry guide for flock selection; covering the
more popular breeds and varieties of chickens and turkeys, by Loyal F. Payne and Thomas B. Avery.
by Payne, Loyal Frederick, 1889- Avery, Thomas B.
Published 1950
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003127564;view=1up;seq=1

 

[Arielle]

The BSW is a good meat heritage turkey but of the 6 varieties we raise I would have to rate them last on the taste scale. It's kind of hard to describe but they don't have that "extra" turkey taste like Bourbon red or Midget.Steve

Steve of SandS poultry