** Pair of Auburn turkeys
This Picture from Phil Sponenberg,
 of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy .

Did You Know: 

Auburns are sex linked and thus can produce 
poults that can be sexed at hatching. 
A variant of the Bronze coloring, Auburns show 
a similarity in pattern, but the black is replaced 
by reddish brown and bronze by light tan. 

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 35 pound toms; 19 pound hens.
Census: 17 hens (more recent counts have dropped 
this to 12 hens); 10 toms 
thus they make up less than 1% of the total 
Historical Turkey population. 
The largest flock had six hens and 4 toms, 
[and] that has dropped since. 

More breeders are needed!

** A Silver Auburn tom turkey
This Picture from Phil Sponenberg,
 of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy .

Did You Know: 

This turkey looks just like the Auburn only a lighter or "bleached out" version. 

Census: 11 hens; 8 toms 
thus they make up less than 1% of the total 
Historical Turkey population. 

More breeders are needed!

"Black"
"aka Spanish aka Norfolk"

This Young Black Spanish Hen
By Permission: Lisa Rolston 
Web Page: JC's Exotic Creations  

Did You Know: 

The Black is a very old variety, possibly the first 
variety to be developed. 
In the USA, flocks referred to as Norfolk Black are usually marked with white as the original Norfolk Blacks often were. In England this color is found on Longer Right Breasts, while the Norfolks are completely black. The adult Norfolk turkeys 
(in the USA) can have some white tipped feathers 
with pink toes and shanks. The British Poultry 
Standard of 1951-1971 calls for the Norfolk Black 
to have black shanks and toes with no white in the 
feathers. The adult Spanish Blacks are completely 
black with solid black feather, shanks and toes. 

Origin:  Some of the original turkeys were a direct descendant of Mecixna turkeys taken to Europe in the 1500s. The Black was very popular all across Europe, but especially in Spain and Norfolk County, England. 
Recognized: 1874
Weight: 33 pound toms; 18 pound hens.
Census: 164 females and 47 males listed by 15 breeders. 
 
The Blacks number 4th in rank of the varieties with the most individual turkeys. 

More breeders are needed.

"Blue Slate"

"Blue Splash Tom"

"Self Blue Hen"

This Blue Slate Pair 
By Permission: Lisa Rolston 
Web Page: JC's Exotic Creations  

Did You Know: 

Slates, sometimes called Blues or Blue Slates, are related to the Blacks, but they are less common. We have one variety with two genotypes. In fact, three, because when even-colored true blues (black X splash) are obtained, judges often favor them over splash, which is often marked with black, and self blue, which is generally very light despite the standard's preference for slatey or ashy birds.
The specks of black scattered over the feathers is called Spackels. 

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 33 pound toms; 18 pound hens.
Census: 108 females and 35 males listed by 12 breeders. 

More breeders are needed!

When breeding:
Blue/Blue Slate w/Black Spackels to Blue/Blue Slate w/Black Spackels, the results are turkeys of three different colors: (Slate or Self Blue), (Blue or Blue Slate w/Black Spackels), and (Black). 

When breeding:
Slate/Self Blue to Slate/Self Blue, 
 just Slate/Self Blue will result, which will breed true. However, the blue tends to lighten with each step of the breeding, so it may become necessary to cross a Black or Blue, to keep the nice coloring or you may end up with white birds down the line. 

When breeding:
 Blue/Blue Slate w/Black Spackels to Black, both Blue/Blue Slate w/Black Spackels & Blacks result with no Slates/Self Blues. 

When breeding:
Black to Black, just Blacks result, which breed true. 

"Bourbon Red"

This Bourbon Red Tom
 By Permission: Lisa Rolston 
Web Page: JC's Exotic Creations  

Did You Know: 

Bourbon Red turkeys are brownish to dark red with white flight feathers. Thier tail has soft red bars crossing the main feathers near the end. Their body feathers on the Toms may be edged in black. Their neck and breast feathers are chestnut mahogany, and undercolor feathers are light buff to almost white. Their beak is light horn at the tip and dark at the base. Their throat wattle is red, changeable to bluish white, and beard is black. Their shanks and toes are pink. 

Origin:  Bourbon Red was developed from the Buff Turkey. Development started in Pennsylvania with the selection of Jersey Buffs for deeper color. The result was called Tuscarora Red, sometimes Tuscawara Red. Settlers heading west took them to Kentucky along with the long rifle. Final development was centered in Kentucky and southern Ohio where they were also called Kentucky Reds and Bourbon Butternuts. 
Recognized: 1909
Weight: 33 pound toms; 18 pound hens.
Census: 664 females and 00 males 
More breeders are needed!

"Bronze"

** This Picture from   web site ___ .
E-mail: gilmc@h

Did You Know: 

The Bronze is copper bronze, with background colors of the tail and tail covert feathers being a dull black with parallel lines of brown, with the end of the feather having a wide band of copperish bronze followed by a narrow black band with the feather ending with a wide white band at the tip.

Origin:  first used in the 1830's & developed by crossing Narragansett with wild turkeys. 
Recognized: 
Weight: 36 pound toms; 20 pound hens. 
Today's Broad Breasted toms and hens usually weigh much more. 

"Buff"

"Oliver"
This Jersey Buff
from Diane Thomson's Flock
turkey@foto.infi.net 
By Permission: Pam of Seldom Seen Farm
caiplichhorses@hotmail.com

Did You Know: 

The Buff, with the exception of Britain, never obtained wide popularity. This is probably due to the difficulty of producing properly colored specimens. While a properly colored Buff is beautiful, part of its early popularity was due to ease in dressing a light colored bird. With old fashioned picking methods, it produced a better looking carcass than even the whites. Some of the old time professionals felt that Buffs and the related Bourbon Reds were meatier than other standard types. The Buff is supposed to be an even buff throughout, with the exception of the flight feathers, which are allowed to be very light. In fact, they are often white.

Origin:  Buff, also called Jersey or New Jersey Buff, has an obscure origin. Whether or not it originated in the U.S., it certainly achieved its greatest prominence in this country. 
Recognized: 1874
Weight: 35 pound toms; 19 pound hens.
Census: 45 hens; 17 toms 

There are 6 breeders, with the largest flock having 20 hens and the next largest flock with 12 hens.

More breeders are needed!
 

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Did You Know: 

The Chocolate is a [dark] fawn or clay. 
The name describes the color of its 
feathers, shanks and feet. 

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 33 pound toms; 18 pound hens.
Census: 8 hens; 3 toms 

More breeders are needed!

When breeding Lilac to Lilac, 1/4 of the offspring will 1/4 will be fawn (tan colored), which will breed true.

"Lavender"

This Lavender or Self Blue 
By Permission: Anthony & Denise Kimbrough
 Web Site: http://www.g-kexoticfarms.com . 

"Self Blue Hen"

This Lavender or Self Blue
 By Permission: Lisa Rolston 
Web Page: JC's Exotic Creations  

When breeding:
Slate/Self Blue to Slate/Self Blue, 
 just Slate/Self Blue will result, which will breed true. However, the blue tends to lighten with each step of the breeding, so it may become necessary to cross a Black or Blue, to keep the nice coloring or you may end up with white birds down the line. 

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 33 pound toms; 18 pound hens.
Census:  

More breeders are needed!

"Lilac"

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Did You Know:  

Lilacs are silvery blue with red flecking, wings are white and the tail has a wide band of red. This is an old variety that actually produces four color types. when breeding Lilac to Lilac, only 1/4 of the offspring will be Lilac. Another 1/4 will be fawn (tan colored), which will breed true. Another 1/4 will be red slate (slate with reddish tint and red tail), which will breed true. The last 1/4 will be a light bronze color. Just 13 hens and 11 toms were listed, which makes up less than 1% of the Historical turkey population reported. The largest flock has 5 hens. 

More breeders are needed!

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 00 pound toms; 00 pound hens.
Census: 00 hens; 00 toms 
 

"Narragansett"

** This Picture from Sheane & Bonnie Meikle's
Web Site: http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/renpoultry
E-mail: action1@telusplanet.net
-or- 
E-mail: renpoult@telusplanet.net

** This Picture from Wayne Smith's  web site.  
E-mail: jubileeacres@hotmail.com 
Web site: http://jubileeacres.homestead.com 

Did You Know: 

Historically, Narragansett was the turkey of New England. 
It takes its name from the Narragansett Bay area. 
One of the first varieties, developed in the U.S. 
The pattern is similar to the Bronze, but bronze is replaced with steel gray and the brown in the tail is a lighter tan. The gray has a slightly golden or 
brown tint.

At one time, fanciers had developed a Silver Narragansett, in which pure
white replaced the steel gray and tan colors. It was never accepted by the American Poultry Association and is very rare, although such sports
appear from time to time in Narragansett flocks. A breeder in Canada listed Silver Narragansett on the census form. 

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 00 pound toms; 00 pound hens.
Census: 00 hens; 00 toms 
 
More breeders are needed!

"Yes, Narragansett is sex-linked and recessive to bronze. Crossing bronze  males (bb NN) to narr. females (bb n-) will produce all bronze offspring: females (bb N-); but the males will carry narragansett (bb Nn). 
If you mate these crossbred males with "normal" bronze females they will produce 1/2 bronze daughters (bb N-) and 1/2 narr. daughters (bb n-). 
So a mating that seems to be "pure" bronze could produce 25% narr's (all females). These narr. females will breed true and act genetically as "proper" narragansetts.

In the original cross if you mate narr. males (bb nn) with bronze females (bb N-) this will result in a sex-linked cross. Sons will be bronze (bb Nn, but carry narr.); daughters will be narr. 
(bb  n-) Breeders once thought this latter cross would be a way to determine  sex at hatch for commercial purposes but as you know, you can't tell bronze and narr. poults apart at hatch.  "(Bob Hawes/Rare Turkey List) 

"And, yes, I have had Kardosh bronze toms carry it. Personally, I assume Narragansetts are genetically homozygous bronze (B+B+) and homozygous Narragansett (ng,ng) in toms and a single (ng/-) in hens. Heterozygous toms carrying the sex-linked recessive Narragansett (ng) are (Ng+/ng). One half of their daughters will be bronze (Ng+/-), and one half will be Narragansett (ng/-). Just as these two genes segregate, so do many unidentified modifiers which may add to or subtract from varying degrees of creamy tan vs. silver tones in many areas. These modifiers are often additive or  accumulative in nature, thus requiring selection for several at one time. Through several decades of intense selection, many of our good old-time breeders selected for and isolated these tones in their distinctive, true breeding strains. Any time a cross is made (new "blood" added), many variations crop out and must be once again selected for or against. Our old-time breeders really mastered this ability with their dedicated patience and perseverence over many, many years." (FDA - Franklin Albertsen/Rare Turkey List)

"Red Slate"

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Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 00 pound toms; 00 pound hens 
Census: 00 hens; 00 toms

More breeders are needed!

"Royal Palm"

** This Picture from Wayne Smith's  web site.  
E-mail: jubileeacres@hotmail.com 
Web site: http://jubileeacres.homestead.com 

Did You Know: 

Palms can be high-strung, but are thrifty & can fend for themselves. Only the black and white has ever been established, but crossing with other varieties has produced individuals of the Royal Palm pattern, but with red, blue slate or brown replacing the normal black. . . . With the exception of black backs with some white edging and the larger comparative size of surface feathers, which give a fish scale appearance, the Royal Palm has the same basic pattern as the Narragansett, only white replaces gray. While this is usually a small turkey, some strains are nearly as large as the medium standard varieties like the Narragansett and the Bourbon Red. This may be due to the inclusion or conversion of silver Narragansetts. Just as Narragansetts produce silver sports, Royal Palms produce gray sports.

Origin:  
Recognized: 
Weight: 22 pound old toms; 12 pound old hens; 
16 pound young toms; 10 pound young hens.
Census: 00 hens; 00 toms

The Royal Palm is the only turkey not heavily selected for meat production. 
 
 
More breeders are needed!

"Sweet Grass"

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Origin:  Sweet Grass showed up in conventionally colored Bronze turkeys. 
Recognized: 
Weight: 36 pound toms; 20 pound hens.
Census: 00 hens; 00 toms

More breeders are needed!

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Origin:  developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at it's Beltsville, Maryland, research center in the 1930s.
Recognized: 1951
Weight: 21 pound toms; 12 pound hens.
Census:  Status Critical: 00 hens; 00 toms 
 
More breeders are needed!

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Origin:  Europe, from Mexican Turkeys in the 1500s.
Recognized: 1874
Weight: 33 pound toms; 18 pound hens.
Census: Status Critical: 00 hens; 00 toms 

More breeders are needed!

Eye color in white birds depends on whether they carry the genes for  bronze or the genes for black. White birds that carry black (cc BB) will have blue eyes. Birds that carry bronze (cc bb) will have brown eyes. See article in upcoming Snood News.(Bob Hawes/Rare Turkey List)

The blue eyed whites are white turkeys (cc) in which the  main base color is
Black  (BB,  Bb+, or Bb'). FDA/Franklin Albertsen/Rare Turkey List)

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Origin:  developed in 1960s by Bob Smyth at the University of Massachusetts.
Recognized: 
Weight: 13.8 pound toms; 8.2 pound hens.
Census: Status Critical: 00 hens; 00 toms 
 

More breeders are needed!

"Turkey Eggs"

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Did You Know:  

Egg colors: The eggs do vary in color, but by age not by breed. The older Hens general produce a tan egg with speckles. 

Turkey eggs take 28 days to hatch. Treat them like chicken eggs. Baby turkeys are called Poults and adult females are Hens. In the US males are referred to as Toms, but in Britain they are often called Stags.

The fleshy appendage that hangs down over a male turkey's beak is called a "snood."

To Learn more able Hatching Poultry.

If you're interested in the 
rare breeds of turkeys, 
there's now a 
Rare Heritage Turkeys  
mailing list, 
which is sponsored by the

Standard Turkey 
Preservation Association
directors: Sheane & Bonnie Meikle
Box 7, Site 6, RR#2
Ponoka, Alberta, T4J 1R2
Canada
403-783-6632
E-mail: standard_turkey@hotmail. com  

Did You Know: 

Important: 
If you are a breeder of turkeys, 
please stop over at the Society for the 
Preservation of Poultry Antiquities's
           Turkey Census.

To receive the Snood News Letter
E-mail: albc@albc-usa.org

Click for list of Turkey Breeders 
-or- 
Click for more Turkey Pictures