Poultry - Rare Heritage Turkey Varieties

VARIETY NAME

VARIETY SUMMARY

BLACK

OF CONCERN

Male and female: The plumage is a solid black with greenish lustre throughout. The undercolour is black. The presence of purple, brown and white in the plumage is undesirable but does not disqualify the bird. Legs and feet are black on young birds and pink in adults. The eyes are brown-black and the beak is also black.
Weight: Male 8.15-12.70kg; Female 5.00-6.80kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society.

BLACK-WINGED BRONZE  (NON APS VARIETY)

OF CONCERN

The color variety known as Black Winged Bronze (aka Crimson Dawn) is the result of the action of a recessive genetic factor on the bronze pattern, which is a recessive allele to both black and bronze patterns -- B (black), b (normal wild bronze), and b' (black winged bronze). Plumage of both sexes: As in Bronze, except that the primary flight feathers are black, the secondary flights black with white tips, and some white marking is permitted on the shoulders. All other aspects as in Bronze. The Black-Winged Bronze variety is recognised in the British Poultry Standards.  The Australian Heritage Turkey Society is preparing submissions for the variety to be included in the Australian Poultry Standards. 

BLUE

OF CONCERN

Male and female: The plumage is a deep grey-blue and free from black or off-coloured markings. The legs and feet are slate in young birds and blue-pink in adults. The eyes are brown-black and the beak is grey-horn.
Weight: Male 7.25-11.35kg; Female 4.55-8.15kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society. 

BOURBON RED

WATCH

Male: The plumage is rich dark brownish-red, narrowly edged with black allover except for the large wing and tail feathers and the neck. The primaries and secondaries are solid white. The main tail feathers are white except for an indistinct bar of red crossing each feather near the end. The neck feathers are brownish red without black edging and the undercolour is red fading to salmon. Faded red to buff colours in the plumage is undesirable. The beak is horn and the eyes are medium brown. The legs and feet are pinkish red.
Female: The plumage is similar to that of the male except there is not black edging and there is a narrow edging of white on the breast feathers.
Weight: male 7.25-11.35kg; Female 3.60-6.80kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society.

BRONZE

WATCH

Male: The plumage on the upper breast and neck has a black base with a surface colouring of iridescent red-green bronzing. The lower breast, wing bows, fronts and secondaries coverts are similar to the former markings except for an edging of velvety black and red-green bronzing. The front half of the back is similarly marked, while the rear half is black, with each feather having a broad copperish-bronze band, extending across it, near the end. The feathers end in a distinct black band, the black gradually narrowing as the tail coverts approach. The tail, when spread for strutting, shows perfect formation, the exposed portion being black with evenly pencilled, narrow stripes of brown, until near the tip of the tail, where there is a broad band of brilliant copper, bordered front and rear with black. The tips have a wide edge of white forming the outer edge of a fan, the white band being duplicated half-way down towards the base of the tail. On the wings, the primaries and their coverts display uniformly wide, dull black and white barring. The secondaries are similar but those closest to the body have indistinct barring, the black portion enlarged and the white portion reduced. The upper thighs are black and the lower thighs are also black but edged with grey. The fluff is dull black.
Female: The plumage is similar to that of the male but displaying narrow white edging on the breast, widening on the wing bows, secondary coverts and on the back.
In both sexes the beak is horn, the eyes are dark hazel with a blue-black pupil and the legs and feet are black on young birds and greyish-pink on adults.
Weight: Male 11.35-18.14kg. Female 6.35-11.79kg.

Photo of Bronze hen displaying  courtesy of Sergio Bestulic

BUFF

OF CONCERN

Male and female: The plumage is a deep cinnamon brown, free from cream. The primaries and secondaries are white and free from buff markings. The beak is light horn, the eyes are dark hazel with a blue-black pupil and the legs and feet are pink and flesh.
Weight: Male 7.25-11.35kg; Female 3.60-6.80kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society.

NARRAGANSETT

OF CONCERN

Male: The plumage on the neck,breast and body is black on the unexposed part of the feather, whereas the exposed surface of each feather is steel-grey terminating in a distinct black band, narrow at the throat and becoming wider at the lower breast. The fronts and bows of the wings are light steel-grey ending in a narrow band of black. The coverts are a light steel-grey forming a broad band across the wings when folded, with the feathers terminating in a distinct black band, forming a glossy ribbon-like mark, which separates them from the secondaries. The back is metallic black while the saddle is black with each feather ending in a broad steel-grey band approaching white, the light band increasing in width as the tail coverts are approached. The primaries are barred black and white and the secondaries are alternately crossed with parallel black and white bars. The main tail is is dull black with each feather regularly pencilled with parallel lines of tan, ending in a broad band of metallic black, free from brownish cast and edged with steel-grey approaching white. The tail coverts are as for the tail with a wide edging of light steel-grey approaching white.
Female: The plumage is similar to that of the male except for white edging to the feathers on the back and breast.
In both sexes the beak is horn, the eyes are brown and the legs and feet are slate in young birds and dull salmon in adults.
Weight: Male 7.25-12.70kg; Female 3.60-81.5kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society.

ROYAL PALM

OF CONCERN

Male and female: The plumage on the neck, breast, body, wing coverts, fronts and bows is white with a narrow band of black running the entire width of each feather, and free from brown or chestnut markings. The edging becomes greater in width on the breast. The back and saddle are rich metallic black, forming a sharp contrast of black against the white base colour of the body plumage. On the wings, the primaries are dull black and the secondaries are white edged with black. The tail is white with a wide band of metallic black about 3.75cm in width termintaing in pure white at the end of the tail. The tail coverts are white with a broad band of metallic black across the feathers terminating in a wide edge of white. The black bands on females in all sections are usually less intense and contrasting than in the males. The beak is light horn, the eyes are light brown and the legs and feet are deep pink or pinkish-white.
Weight: Male 7.25-10.00kg; Female 3.60-5.45kg.

Photo Courtesy of Jill Andrews

SLATE

OF CONCERN

Male and female: The plumage is slate-blue with lighter shades preferred. The males are generally a darker shade than the females. The beak is grey-horn, the eyes are medium dark brown and the legs and feet are slate-pink in young birds and dull pink in adults.
Weight: Male 7.25-11.35kg; Female 4.55-8.15kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society.

WHITE

OF CONCERN

Male and female: The plumage is white throughout and free from creaminess and other off-colours. The beak is pinkish-horn, the eyes are medium brown and the legs and feet are pale pink.
Weight: Male 10.00-17.23kg; Female 6.35-10.00kg.

Photo with permission Australian Heritage Turkey Society.

BREED

BREED SUMMARY

KING ISLAND TURKEY

NOT RATED (FERAL POPULATION)

Find out more on the ABC website.