Turkey Cross Question - Supporters Only

[texascowboy1979]

I know there are a few topics going around, and many people are quick to impose there view on Purity and Crosses of Turkeys. In short, to each there own, as I support pure bloods and Cross Bloods. Its by crossing that your able to produce new breeds, and by breeds I mean animals that breed true. You can't be a purist when in fact the pure blood your supporting is the result of a cross further back down the genetic pool. It helps create variation, animal Vigor, and adaptation.

Any hoo, My main turkey cross question.

Ive got a variety of turkeys,

Pure Bloods
2 Black Spanish Toms
2 White Hens
1 Burbon Red Hen
7 Eastern Wild Turkey Toms
3 Eastern Wild Turkey Hens

Cross Bloods
1 Burbon X Wild Tom
1 Burbon X Wild hen
3 White X Wild hens

This spring I got 4 Black Spanish Turkeys, and out of the 4 turkeys only 2 survived, so now I have 2 Black Males. Now My cross Question, What will happen If I cross my Black tom with my White hen? This past spring my White crossed with my Wild Turkey and the babies all came out looking like a Wild Turkey and had the body of my white. It was easy to see whos who. So that leaves me to belive that if I cross my Black Tom with My white hen, the babies should be black?, Provided that the white is a recessive gene.

Ive got the Whites paired with the black in a breeder pen, and this spring will show if Im right or wrong on the gene crossing.

Thoughts on the genes?

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
I can't answer your questions about cross breeding, but I just wanted to comment -- how do we get new breeds without crossing existing ones? I don't think we really could, could we?

I think it's like the dog world, where people started making crosses of "recognized" breeds and realized some of them have good characteristics. Labradoodles for one have become very popular because they are non-shedding, have good disposition, and are "hypoallergenic".

I say go for it, you might get something new, attractive, and interesting.

 

[texascowboy1979]

Quote:
Thank you.