Turkey Breed?

[RockerHen]

I recently purchased these turkeys from a local chickenstock. The card on their cage said bourbon red x royal palm, but they don't really resemble either breed. I was doing some research and they kind of look more like bronze. Anybody want to guess on breed and possible gender?

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I think you may have been fed a line of crap. They look like bronze. Thats a bronze tom on my avitar.

 

[Frosty]

It's possible, genetics aren't like mixing paint. According to Kevin Porters site Royal Palms are 'Black winged bronze base with palm and narragansett genes'. For Bourbon Reds he says 'Their genotype is (b+b+rr) Bronze based and homozygous for recessive red.' With bronze in the background for both parent breeds...

 

[Oregon Blues]

They are very slim like Royal Palms. They are certainly a cross and not purebred Bronze. Mixed breeds generally don't look too much like either parent, so the parentage could be accurate.

Since you knowingly purchased cross bred turkeys, you aren't unhappy with them because they are not purebreds. They look very nice.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Agreed, they are beautiful birds.

 

[RockerHen]

Thank you all for your input and compliments. What they are really doesn't concern me. I'm just thrilled to have turkeys finally if they end up looking anything like bronze I'd be ecstatic. I think they're the most beautiful breed. I would be just as happy if they turned out white or red, but i really like the more natural look. I definitely think one's a tom. He displays for anything that will watch, and has a heavier build than the other. They have so much personality! I could sit and watch them for hours.

 

[Celie]

If they are the same age, they look like a pair to me! Pretty birds, Too !!

Good luck with them !!!

 

[RockerHen]

Update: They've gotten more beautiful, and much bigger. Now i'm wondering as to their gender.
Turkey 1. Tom?

Turkey 2. Hen?

Them together.

 

[Lagerdogger]

Royal Palms crossed with Bourbon Reds make Red Bronzes (with recessive genes). If the tom is royal palm, the hens will be golden narragansetts.

The tom shown here is the result of a RP tom and BR hen. The golden Narragansett hen trailing him is his sister from the same batch of eggs.




Here is mom just after they hatched...




When turkey colors are crossed, the offspring often do not look like something inbetween the two parents.

The color in your pictures is not great, but the light secondaries do suggest red bronze, which could result from the advertised cross.

 

[CityChick15]

Wow! those are really pretty birds! I have a Royal Palm Tom and a Chocolate hen (although my Hen could be the identical twin sister of your pictured bourbon red hen, so maybe my girl is actaully a BR, instead of the far more rare chocolate, which actually makes more sense).
The cross between the Male RP and Female BR produces a lovely bird, thank you so much for sharing!