Description

Black Turkey is a domestic turkey breed. It was domesticated from Mexican wild turkeys brought back to Europe by the first Spanish explorers who visited the USA. Black turkeys have been around since the 1500s and their plumage is black. This breed is available in many European nations. The Black Turkey , also known as the Black Spanish or Norfolk Black, is a British breed of domestic Turkey. It is thought to derive from birds taken to Britain from Spain, where they had arrived with Spanish Explorers returning from the New World. It is generally considered the oldest turkey breed in the UK. The Black turkey breed was officially recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1874.

Features:

The Black turkeys are medium to large sized birds with very beautiful appearance. They have lustrous, metallic black plumage with a greenish sheen on top and a dull back undercolor. It is not accepted or undesirable to have a brownish or bronze cast or any white. The young or poults will often have white or bronze color in their feathers, but change into black after molting. Beak of the Black turkey is black, and the wattle is bright red (changeable to bluish-white). In adults, the shanks and toes are of pink color. Eyes of these birds are of dark brown color. Although the plumage is black, but skin of the Black turkey is generally white.

Behaviour and Temperament:

The Black turkey is a meat breed. It is raised mainly for meat production. The Black turkeys are hardy variety of domestic turkey. They have not been selected for production attributes for years. They are highly dependent on selection by breeder. Careful selection for good health, ability to mate naturally and production attributes will return this variety to it’s former stature. They are mostly docile in terms of temperament, but some birds can become aggressive.