Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Heritage Birds
Several breeds of naturally mating heritage turkeys have recovered populations in the
last few years, since the ALBC and the Slow Food movement first started shaking
people up about things such as sustainability and flavor.
Considerable discussion exists as to whether or not the naturally mating turkeys are
actually breeds or simply varieties of a single breed. Most people who show poultry
refer to them as different varieties. I am in the minority, but after having raised many,
many flocks for several decades now, I think of them as different breeds. My thinking is
reflected in this section of the topic.
Many heritage-type birds have developed their own unique set of genetic traits that
sets them apart from the others. For example, I have observed disease tolerance, tem-
perament, roosting ability, and laying ability differences that appear to be distinct from
group to group, making each a breed rather than a simple variety. My classification
is really no different from that of the Rocks and Wyandottes chicken breeds. Those
breeds have overlapping colors and many other similarities, but are classified as separate
breeds.
When choosing a naturally mating, heritage turkey, keep in mind that, despite what
the standard may say, each of the bird types above has its own particular physical traits
and temperaments and may be more or less suited to your needs. Whether you choose to
call them breeds or varieties, I can assure you that their differences add up to more than
just their feather color.
The strain from which you are acquiring the birds has great bearing upon the final
size. Some of the largest are the Bronze, Narragansett, and White Holland. The smallest
birds are the Royal Palm, Blue Palm, Beltsville, and Midget White.
Temperamentally, Bourbon Reds are notorious for being curious and wanting to test
their wings. They are perhaps the most adventurous turkeys. They seem to hate being
inside and are always the first breed to challenge the fence height when I turn them out-
side in a pen. Within minutes of their release, they fly.
NO CROWDING = NO CLIPPING
In more than 30 years raising turkeys, I have never had to debeak, clip toenails, or re-
move the snood from any of my heritage birds. If you have a good nutrition plan, and
provide them with plenty of room to move, they will never exhibit feather picking
or cannibalism. I understand from research that large commercial whites must have
their bodies altered significantly to avoid cannibalistic and feather-picking behavior.
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