Which turkey breeds pluck with a clean look, no dark pigment on skin?

[Arielle]

I've read repeatedly that the preferred carcass is a white feathered bird because the carcasss is very clean looking. It lacks the dark pigment left around the shaft area of the feathers of dark feathered birds.

If you sell meat turkeys I'd like to hear what your customers prefer and why?
The red burbon looks reddish and white--does it pluck clean like a white? Or some black pigment, but not as much as the more typical dark birds like the bronze?

HOw does the carcass of a Naragansett look? For some reason, I'm fixated on this breed; I like the close to wild turkey look and Naragansett Bay is just south of me; maybe people would buy a bird with local ties to southern New ENgland. ANy thoughts on this ??

 

[jasonm11]

broad breasted white, beltsville, and midget whites I would think as they are all white, I processed one of my Merriams/ eastern wild which are dark colored birds and it came out nice and clean and the skin was lighter than I would have thought.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Any of the white breeds but even my bronze look good when I am done with them. When you cook them they all look the same.

 

[Denninmi]

It's one of those goofy cultural things which was adopted and reinforced by big agribusiness/food processing. There isn't any intrinsic reason a non-pigmented skin is superior in taste than a breed with pigmented skin. Some cultures like birds with dark pigment -- I understand that the "black" skinned chicken and duck breeds command really premium prices with Asian clients.

I think this is something that people need to be educated about -- an heirloom bird raised free-range or nearly so and fed well, with dark skin, is no doubt going to have superior flavor to a factory farmed bird, especially one that has been "enhanced" with injected broth, etc.

Most people are so clueless when it comes to where their food originates.

 

[MissTurkey4]

Of the colored turkeys, Jersey Buffs pluck out the cleanest. They taste just like a Bourbon Red. It is very much a cultural thing like Denninmi had said. We have a large demand for the black birds for religious reasons. Some cultures will not buy or eat a white skin chicken.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

delete

 

[Arielle]

Colby TX wrote: Any of the white breeds but even my bronze look good when I am done with them. When you cook them they all look the same.

GOOD TO KNOW! THe visual appeal is my concern. WIll buyers decline anything but a white feathered bird?

The red burbon looks reddish and white--does it pluck clean like a white?

And how does a Naragensett look?​