"...when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again."
-William Beebe

August 31, 2005

Heritage Turkeys Defined

As the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches, thoughts often turn to the centerpiece of this American meal – the Thanksgiving turkey. What could be more uniquely American than enjoying a meal which features this truly American bird? To add a sense of history, as well as enjoy flavors that are a delight, you may wish to go to the extra effort and procure a Heritage turkey. But what is a Heritage turkey?

Turkey breeder Frank Reese, Jr., Good Shepherd Ranch, Kansas, a leader in bringing Heritage turkeys back into production, was asked to speak at the National Turkey Federation’s (NTF) leadership conference on July 10th in Washington, DC. The NTF is the organization that represents the interests of commercial turkey production in the United States. Frank was asked to speak about “Heritage turkeys” and to explain how they differ from the Broad Breasted White turkeys used by the industry.

Many people mistakenly think that dark feathers equal Heritage turkey and that white feathers equal industrial turkey. In fact, there have always been some white-feathered varieties of turkey. Frank more precisely defined Heritage turkeys, providing clarity for both producers and consumers.

Frank contacted a number of advisors, breeders, growers and marketers of Heritage turkey, including the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC), to come to a full understanding of what identifies a Heritage turkey. His definition was presented to the NTF attendees. Subsequent revision has polished the definition.

A Heritage turkey is defined by the system for which it was designed – outdoor, free-range production. This system is both historic and requires of the animal certain key traits.

ALBC is pleased to present a definition for Heritage turkeys so that all may understand what requirements are needed to qualify for this valuable distinction.

Definition of a Heritage Turkey
All domesticated turkeys descend from wild turkeys indigenous to North and South America. They are the quintessential American poultry. For centuries people have raised turkeys for food and for the joy of having them.

Many different varieties have been developed to fit different purposes. Turkeys were selected for productivity and for specific color patterns to show off the bird’s beauty. The American Poultry Association (APA) lists eight varieties of turkeys in its Standard of Perfection. Most were accepted into the Standard in the last half of the 19th century, with a few more recent additions. They are Black, Bronze, Narragansett, White Holland, Slate, Bourbon Red, Beltsville Small White, and Royal Palm. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy also recognizes other naturally mating color varieties that have not been accepted into the APA Standard, such as the Jersey Buff, White Midget, and others. All of these varieties are Heritage Turkeys.

Heritage turkeys are defined by the historic, range-based production system in which they are raised. Turkeys must meet all of the following criteria to qualify as a Heritage turkey:

• Naturally mating: the Heritage Turkey must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating, with expected fertility rates of 70-80%.
• Long productive lifespan: the Heritage Turkey must have a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 5-7 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years.
• Slow growth rate: the Heritage Turkey must have a slow to moderate rate of growth. Today’s heritage turkeys reach a marketable weight in 26 – 28 weeks, giving the birds time to develop a strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass. This growth rate is identical to that of the commercial varieties of the first half of the 20th century.

Beginning in the mid-1920s and extending into the 1950s turkeys were selected for larger size and greater breast width, which resulted in the development of the Broad Breasted Bronze. In the 1950s, poultry processors began to seek broad breasted turkeys with less visible pinfeathers, as the dark pinfeathers, which remained in the dressed bird, were considered unattractive. By the 1960s the Large or Broad Breasted White had been developed, and soon surpassed the Broad Breasted Bronze in the marketplace.
Today’s commercial turkey is selected to efficiently produce meat at the lowest possible cost. It is an excellent converter of feed to breast meat, but the result of this improvement is a loss of the bird’s ability to successfully mate and produce fertile eggs without intervention. Both the Broad Breasted White and the Broad Breasted Bronze turkey require artificial insemination to produce fertile eggs.

Interestingly, the turkey known as the Broad Breasted Bronze in the early 1930s through the late 1950s is nearly identical to today’s Heritage Bronze turkey – both being naturally mating, productive, long-lived, and requiring 26-28 weeks to reach market weight. This early Broad Breasted Bronze is very different from the modern turkey of the same name. The Broad Breasted turkey of today has traits that fit modern, genetically controlled, intensively managed, efficiency-driven farming. While superb at their job, modern Broad Breasted Bronze and Broad Breasted White turkeys are not Heritage Turkeys. Only naturally mating turkeys meeting all of the above criteria are Heritage Turkeys.

Prepared by Frank Reese, owner & breeder, Good Shepherd Farm; Marjorie Bender, Research & Technical Program Manager, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy; Dr. Scott Beyer, Department Chair, Poultry Science, Kansas State University; Dr. Cal Larson, Professor Emeritus, Poultry Science, Virginia Tech; Jeff May, Regional Manager & Feed Specialist, Dawes Laboratories; Danny Williamson, farmer and turkey breeder, Windmill Farm; Paula Johnson, turkey breeder, and Steve Pope, Promotion & Chef, Good Shepherd Farm.

For more information: contact Marjorie Bender, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, PO Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312, [email protected].