Turkey Breeds and Varieties

Turkey Breeds and Varieties: Broad Breasted Bronze, Beltsville White, White Holland & Narragansett

Turkeys are important poultry species primarily raised for meat production, with several recognized varieties and commercially developed hybrid strains. Common turkey varieties include Broad Breasted Bronze, Beltsville White, White Holland, and Narragansett. This article discusses the major turkey varieties and hybrids, along with their important characteristics, body weight, production traits, and breeding significance.

Turkeys originated in Northern and Central America and were domesticated about 300 years ago by Europeans who colonized North America.

There are no breeds in turkeys, but only varieties are recognized. The common varieties of turkeys are as follows:

• Broad Breasted Bronze
• Beltsville White
• White Holland
• Narragansett

Hybrid Turkeys include:

• Nicholas Turkey (meat type)
• British United Turkey (meat type)

Broad Breasted Bronze

• It is the most popular and heaviest variety of turkey.
• As the name indicates, it has a broad and prominent chest region and bronze-colored feathers.
• Males and females at maturity weigh 15–18 kg and 12–13 kg, respectively.
• Most present-day hybrid turkeys are crosses of different strains of Broad Breasted Bronze or Beltsville White.
• One of the common hybrid turkeys popular in North America is Nicholas Turkey. It is a cross of the above two varieties.
• Beltsville Small White Turkey
• It is a medium-sized turkey with white feathers.
• They produce more eggs compared with Broad Breasted Bronze and are therefore included in breeding programs.
• Toms weigh 10–12 kg at maturity, while hens weigh 7–8 kg.

White Holland

• It is a popular variety of turkey commonly found in European countries.
• It was bred and developed in Holland after several varieties were imported from North America.
• They are also used in crosses with local turkey varieties to improve growth rate and reproductive ability.
• Toms weigh 10–12 kg and hens weigh 6–8 kg at maturity.

Narragansett

• This is a popular variety in Europe, second to White Holland.
• It is mostly raised in Germany, Italy, and other European countries.
• Most of the hybrid turkeys available in Europe are crosses of White Holland or Narragansett.