Question about Bourbon Red Turkey coloration.

[Guitartists]

I have a tom that is less than a year old. I've included a pic of him. I noticed online that some have all white tail feathers, some are red, some are mixed and some look just like my tom's tail... all red except for that middle few. My question is...... what is ideal? And, does it change with age, or will his tail always have this same coloration?

Thanks

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The tail should be white with red/brown edging at the end. It does change after a molt but I only seen them go to less white.

Steve

 

[Tunastopper]

Are you a member of the yahoo genetics board? If so you can read the standards of perfection under the files. Bourbon Red is in the 4th file down.

I don't think the color is going to change. If I like a bird, I don't care what the standards say. I care more about the confirmation of the bird. If your breeding for show, then its a whole different thing.

 

[Guitartists]

Thanks for the replies

My pair are just for my own flock... not show. I was just wondering what to expect. Both their personalities are so great, I wouldn't trade them for anything

 

[Tunastopper]

Other than the white right in the middle the tail looks like the tail of a Regal Red. Is there anyway that your turkey has one Black winged bronze gene? A Regal Red has two Black winged bronze gene and two red genes. A Bourbon Red has two bronze genes and two red genes. Yours looks like a mix to both to me. I would use it to breed harlequins.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Your tom is absolutely handsome!!!

I am impressed !!! He is beautiful !!!!

My tom does not have a white feather in the middle of his tail feathers. All of his feathers are the same color.

Your boy looks like he knows that he is posing for the camera.

I can't get over how handsome he is. You have done a great job caring for him. Keep up the good work.

 

[Guitartists]

Quote:
I honestly don't know

I got them at the MI BYC get together. I'll have to hunt down the gal I bought them from and see what she can tell me. The hen has the EXACT coloration. Same white patch on a red tail. I'm not sure what a Harlequin turkey looks like... I'll have to look into that. We had 2 Bronze meat turkeys from the feed store last year, but these are my first non-meat turkeys... so I'm still learning.

kuntrygirl........

I got them when they were just days old...and they have been a bit spoiled since then. The hen comes and sits on my lap anytime I sit down, and they will both come and lay next to me if I lay in the grass...... one of the guineas they were broodered with even laid next to my leg one day

lol That tom is a real ham! He's JUST starting to gobble .... but I can't get him to do it as a response yet. But if I'm out there...it's always REAL easy to get him to pose

He's always showing off for the girls...regardless of what breed they are

I've gotten pretty good at understanding some turkey talk..... so I can always get him to poof up by doing the call the hen does when she's trying to exert her authority.... that always gets a rise out of him