White Turkey?

[josh]

I havent ever visited this thread because I dont hunt turkey, but I have tons of them on my farm

Anyway... I see a few turkey from time to time that have some white feathers mixed in, kinda gives them a gray appearance
Does anyone know the rason for this?

 

[Ithaca 37]

Josh, usually it's because the turkeys got some white barnyard turkey blood mixed in somewhere along the line. There have been so many turkey transplants from state to state in the last 30 years that it's impossible to know what kind of blood has been mixed in. White turkeys show up in wild flocks fairly often and sometimes people think they're albinos but it's usually just a throwback to some barnyard ancestor. There's been so much mixing of Easterns with Merriams and Rio Grandes that sometimes you can't tell them apart.

 

[canadian turkey hunter]

josh,
i think you will find that those turkeys have a lack of mellinomin...this causes the turkeys to have some white coloration ...mellinomin(not spelled right)
is the chemical that gives the turkey its brown colour...the reason you might see a few is that it is passed on in the genes..

just my thoughts on the subject

 

[josh]

Ithica, I have had others tell me that too, but if you saw one I think you would agree, It dosent quite look like a crossbred.


CTH, That sounds interesting, Have you seen turkeys like this? All the ones I have seen were hens, When I see a nice whitish tom like that, I think I will get a turkey tag!

 

[canadian turkey hunter]

josh...
yes i have (hens) and if i get the chance to legally harvest one i will!!!

 

[ShadowRider]

Josh,
My vote is for that recessive "Butterball" gene, also. SR