Black

Origin:   America

Category:  Forest and Field

Egg Colour:  Speckled

Sitter:  Yes

The Turkey is native to North and Central America. They have been used primarily as a table bird and are popular all around the world. In modern times a larger and meatier commercial turkey is primarily produced for the table and the historic domestic colour varieties are kept by poultry fanciers and hobbyists.

The Black turkey was the first of the domestic varieties of turkey and was originally known as the Norfolk turkey, named for it's place of development. It was taken to American where it was improved in size by breeding with dark-coloured offspring of Bronze turkeys. 

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Head long, broad, and carunculated (covered with fleshy protuberances). 

Beak strong and curved. 

Eyes bold. 

Throat wattle large and pendent.

Neck long and curved back towards the tail, the top and most of the front carunculated.

Body long, deep through the centre, and well rounded; broad and full breast; the cock's beard long, bristling, and prominent; somewhat curving back rising from the neck to the centre and descending in a graceful curve to the tail; large and powerful wings carried well up and closely to the side ; long and drooping tail, the end almost touching the ground.

Legs long. Shanks stout and strong. Toes straight and powerful.

Carriage stately and upright.

Plumage hard and glossy.

Weight Cock from 27 lb. to 36 lb. Hen from 18 lb. to 20 lb.

THE BLACK

Beak: slate-black. 

Eyes: very dark brown to black. 

Head (including face, jaws, throat wattle, and caruncles) brilliant red, changeable to bluewhite. 

Legs and Feet: black when young, changing to pink in adults.. 

Plumage lustrous black with green sheen. Undercolour black.

Disqualifications: Feathers other than black in any part of the plumage, a slight bronze tinge in back and tail not to disqualify.

Disqualifications

• Feathers other than slaty or ashy blue, which may be dotted with black, in any part of plumage.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Approximate weights as follows:

Cock: 8-13kg

Hen: 5-7kg

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Wry tail;

• Crooked breast bone;

• Any other deformity.

• In the Black, feathers of any other colour; cocks less than 20 lb., and hens less than 12 lb.

• In the Bronze, white feathers in any part, clear brown or black wings or minus white or grey bars more than one-half the length of the primaries, clear black, brown or grey back tail or tail-coverts ; cocks less than 30 lb., and hens less than 18 lb.

• In the White, any coloured feathers, other than white or pink-white legs; cocks less than 20 lb., and hens less than 12 lb.

SOURCES

• The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629

• Extra information on turkeys can be found in 'Raising Turkeys' available for download at this link. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/24191#/summary

• The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004

• The Australian Poultry Standards 2nd Edition.