What is a smoke-phase turkey?
A smoke-morph bird looks like its name suggests, with a light wispy gray with graphite and black details along the body, wings, and tail. Despite the dramatic monochrome look, this turkey still has some blue and pink coloration on its head and neck, but not nearly as much as on a standard Wild Turkey.
What is a wild white turkey called?
A nearly white wild turkey was accompanied by a normally colored turkey. The naturally occurring white turkeys are commonly called smoke-phase birds
How rare are white wild turkeys?
According to DNR biologists, white turkeys are rare — but depending on what kind of white. It’s estimated about 1 in 100 wild turkeys are considered smoke gray, while true albino turkeys are one in 100,000.
Why are some turkeys white and some brown?
The great majority of domestic turkeys are bred to have white feathers because their pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed, although brown or bronze-feathered varieties are also raised.
Are smoke-phase turkeys rare?
1 in every 100 Wild Turkeys
What causes a smoke-phase turkey?
The unusual plumage, also known as a smokey phase or smokey gray phase, was caused by a recessive gene. If two eastern wild turkeys that have normal coloration also both have that recessive gene, some of their offspring may have the smokey form like albinism, he said.
How rare is a red phase turkey?
Some researchers estimate that it’s present in 1 in 50,000 wild turkeys. It’s basically the opposite of albinism, which creates all white birds and is slightly rarer. Erythristic, or red-colored turkeys, are also very uncommon.
Why do some wild turkeys have white on them?
Can a wild turkey be white? A wild turkey can absolutely have white feathers, and these unusual color phases are usually a result of conditions known as albinism or leucism. These conditions are genetic mutations caused by a recessive gene that leads to a notable loss of pigment.
Is there a wild white turkey?
Some experts estimate that roughly one in 100 wild turkeys is white or mostly white-colored. They all agree that hens make up a much higher percentage of white turkeys than toms. That means a full-strutting adult smoke-phase gobbler is quite rare.
What are the 4 types of Wild Turkeys?
Domestic and Wild Turkeys have different feather colors. In completely opposite fashion, domestic turkeys are normally white in color, an intentional product of domestication because white pin feathers are less noticeable on the carcass.
Which turkeys are white?
Can a wild turkey be white? A wild turkey can absolutely have white feathers, and these unusual color phases are usually a result of conditions known as albinism or leucism. These conditions are genetic mutations caused by a recessive gene that leads to a notable loss of pigment.
Are all white turkeys rare?
For pure white leucistic or albino birds, the odds are against you seeing one of these rare game birds. According to the Audubon Society, only one in 100,000 turkeys will ever be an albino
How many wild turkeys are white?
one in 100 wild turkeys
What percentage of turkeys are white?
A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat. The wild turkey is native to northern Mexico and the eastern United States. The male turkey is called a tom. The female turkey is called a hen.
What is the difference between white and brown turkeys?
Wild Turkeys have the deep, rich brown and black feathers that most people associate with turkeys. In completely opposite fashion, domestic turkeys are normally white in color, an intentional product of domestication because white pin feathers are less noticeable on the carcass.
Why are some turkeys white and others brown?
Wild Turkeys come in two more colors: white and black. These versions are caused by albinism and melanism, conditions which occur in many animals. Melanistic Wild Turkeys overproduce the pigment melanin, making them jet black in colorthe gothest turkey out there.
Why are some turkeys white?
Originally all the domestic turkeys were of the bronze color, the same as the wild ones, but years ago farmers bred turkeys to be white because when the feathers were plucked from the bird the pin feathers left were white, which made the bird more attractive in the supermarkets.
Why are Wild Turkeys not white?
Black and white Although domestic turkeys can be bred to closely resemble wild turkeys, domestics normally are bred white to avoid darker skin coloration associated with non-white feathers. Wild turkeys rely on their dark brown and black plumage as camouflage
What is the rarest turkey breed?
The unusual plumage, also known as a smokey phase or smokey gray phase, was caused by a recessive gene. If two eastern wild turkeys that have normal coloration also both have that recessive gene, some of their offspring may have the smokey form like albinism, he said.
What is a phase turkey?
The Auburn, also known as the Light Brown, is a breed of domestic turkey. A heritage turkey, the Auburn is one of the rarest varieties currently in existence. It has been referenced by name in written records since the 18th century, and is named after the light reddish-brown color of its plumage.
How common are smoke-phase turkeys?
1 in every 100 Wild Turkeys
How rare is a color phase turkey?
Some researchers estimate that it’s present in 1 in 50,000 wild turkeys. It’s basically the opposite of albinism, which creates all white birds and is slightly rarer. Erythristic, or red-colored turkeys, are also very uncommon.
What is the rarest turkey color?
Rarer, though, are albinos, a condition marked by white skin and feathers along with light pink or red eyes. Seeing an albino turkey would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: It’s estimated that only 1 in 100,000 Wild Turkeys is albino.
What does it mean when a turkey is red?
angry
How rare is a albino turkey?
one in 100,000 turkeys
