What breeds? Please :)

[sannabelle]

Ooooh that makes sense!! The mental image I'm getting is great anyways and the toms in your avatar are BEAUTIFUL.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Chocolates are a breed of their own not a variety of another breed.
"Heritage" is not a breed but a category to describe certain breeds. Just like there are heritage breed chickens.

Chocolates almost died out completely during the civil war. To bring the breed back other breeds were crossed in. Chocolate is sex linked in turkeys like it is in chickens.

 

[sannabelle]

Ahhh! Makes sense!!! Thank you!

 

[sannabelle]

Another question- since the bronze is a BB, what can I do to prolong his life span? Limit grains? Mostly free ranging? We aren't raising him for meat, so we would like him to be around for awhile

 

[The Moonshiner]

I can't help you there. I stay away from all types of meat birds because of those concerns.
I did have a BB bronze tom as a pet a couple decades ago. I didn't do anything special for him and he did live a long happy life and even produced quite a few poults with a blue slate hen.

 

[sannabelle]

Okay! I'll do a little research! Even if he doesn't live a super long time we will make sure he is happy!

 

[R2elk]

Chocolates are a breed of their own not a variety of another breed.
"Heritage" is not a breed but a category to describe certain breeds. Just like there are heritage breed chickens.

Chocolates almost died out completely during the civil war. To bring the breed back other breeds were crossed in. Chocolate is sex linked in turkeys like it is in chickens.

All turkeys are the same breed (Turkey) whether they are broad breasted or heritage. There are many different color varieties such as Bronze, Bourbon Red, Chocolate, Royal Palm, etc. but they are all the same breed.

Heritage when applied to turkeys is the term used to describe any variety of turkey that is not broad breasted.

 

[The Moonshiner]

All turkeys are the same breed (Turkey) whether they are broad breasted or heritage. There are many different color varieties such as Bronze, Bourbon Red, Chocolate, Royal Palm, etc. but they are all the same breed.

Heritage when applied to turkeys is the term used to describe any variety of turkey that is not broad breasted.

I don't agree.
A BB bronze, midget white, royal palm, etc. Are not all the same turkey just different colors.
They may of all started from the same place but they are different breeds now.
That's like saying all domestic ducks except muscovies are all the same breed just different colors.

 

[R2elk]

I don't agree.
A BB bronze, midget white, royal palm, etc. Are not all the same turkey just different colors.
They may of all started from the same place but they are different breeds now.
That's like saying all domestic ducks except muscovies are all the same breed just different colors.

It doesn't matter whether you agree or not. There is only one breed and that breed is Turkey. This isn't a matter of opinion, it is a genetic fact.

All turkeys are Meleagris.

There is a lot of misuse of the term "breed" on the internet.

http://blogs.plos.org/dnascience/2015/11/26/turkey-genetics-101/

 

[The Moonshiner]

It doesn't matter whether you agree or not. There is only one breed and that breed is Turkey. This isn't a matter of opinion, it is a genetic fact.

All turkeys are Meleagris.

There is a lot of misuse of the term "breed" on the internet.

http://blogs.plos.org/dnascience/2015/11/26/turkey-genetics-101/

So what is the correct use of the term "breed"?

Yes all turkeys are from the genus Meleagris. So breed just means genus?
Domestic ducks are from the genus Anas. Does that mean all domestic ducks are the same breed?
What about chickens? They are from the genus Gallus. Are all domestic chickens the same breed?

My thinking was that it went from genus to species to subspecies to breeds to varieties.
Meleagris being genus.
Gallopavo being the species (wild turkey)
M.g.Gallopavo being the subspecies ( south Mexican wild turkey)
Royal palm would be the breed.
Blue royal palm or chocolate royal palm as a variety of the breed.

I didn't think the term "breed" was used anywhere in scientific classifacations. Or used in place of a classification as your using it as the same as a genus.
I believe "breed" falls below the scientific classifacations and starts where we began manipulating and selective breeding of whatever. Turkeys in this case.