White turkeys

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Turkeys were first taken to Spain from Central America. That's where the Europeans got turkeys in the first place. There turkeys were bred into several various colors, sizes etc.. and those are what came back to the Americas as tame turkeys.
Do a turkey search, and you will find breeds such as Spanish Black, Blue Slate, Royal Palm and the list goes on. But they don't have any Easterns..
 

miller

Senior Member
I've seen several in the Hilton area of Early County. I think it might be be from the Nuclear power plant on the Alabama side of the river. ;) Neat Pics HAMMONDREED.
 
Great pictures. I've hunted turkeys for 23-years and I've seen one hen with the same color phase - I'd say they're pretty rare! The one that I was fortunate enough to see was in Pulaski County
 

redneck_billcollector

Purveyor Of Fine Spirits
Help me out here. The turkey is a strictly American bird. The early Europeans to this country could not have brought them. Where did you get this information, because I would like to research it?

The spaniards got them in Mexico where the Aztecs had domesticated them, which by the way was one of the few animals that were domesticated in pre-columbian N. or S. America. They took them to Spain and created more "domestic" breeds, they became right popular for awhile in Europe. They would have been in Western Europe around 100 years before Jamestown.

Just like the early english settlers found peach trees (old world origin) growing in some of the indian towns.
 

redneck_billcollector

Purveyor Of Fine Spirits
Turkeys were first taken to Spain from Central America. That's where the Europeans got turkeys in the first place. There turkeys were bred into several various colors, sizes etc.. and those are what came back to the Americas as tame turkeys.
Do a turkey search, and you will find breeds such as Spanish Black, Blue Slate, Royal Palm and the list goes on. But they don't have any Easterns..

Many folks think the ancestors of dommestic turkeys were either Merriams or Goulds. I should say many folks think those birds were feral "indian" turkey breeds.
 

johndeere10

Member
I saw one twice today...this morning and afternoon. I couldn't make out if it was a hen or jake. I'm leaning more towards jake but hopefully I can catch it on trail camera soon. It was alot whiter and had brownish stripe along tail than pics above. It surely caught me by surprise!
 

birddog52

Banned
Yeah i have seen one white turkey it was a hen in the wild with a flock years ago. Have also saw a young turkey colored like a royal palm with a normal colored hen and her brood my guess. Moma flew into a pen somewhere with a tame turkey and this was the end result.
 

Cole Henry

Senior Member
Ive read through the comments and saw where a couple people have seen them in Early county in the Hilton area. I had a lease right there in Hilton two seasons ago and we had two smokey hens just like that I would see all the time during deer season in our peanut fields!
 

rosewood

Senior Member
Domesticated turkeys that we buy today were just selectively bred white versions of the wild ones. They have conscientiously bred the whiter turkeys to develop an almost all white turkey for sale in the stores. The idea is that a black turkey sitting on the thanksgiving tables isn't as appetizing as one that is white. The white ones would have probably not last very long in the wild, much like other albino critters don't do good in the wild. The black ones have dark spots all over them where the feathers are plucked but the white ones do not. That was from a turkey breeder.
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
I have seen a couple on our lease over the years. Hens, no gobblers. I believe you have yourself a bearded hen. Beard is too long to be a jake. Even though I know length of beard shouldnt be a factor in age... But its too long. Also, hens beards tend to be thinner in diameter. Pencil like. Having TWO smokies in one pic is pretty dang cool IMO.
 

Boondocks

Senior Member
They are still some in Early County. See them all the time.
 

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dawg2

AWOL ADMINISTRATOR
Domesticated turkeys that we buy today were just selectively bred white versions of the wild ones. They have conscientiously bred the whiter turkeys to develop an almost all white turkey for sale in the stores. The idea is that a black turkey sitting on the thanksgiving tables isn't as appetizing as one that is white. The white ones would have probably not last very long in the wild, much like other albino critters don't do good in the wild. The black ones have dark spots all over them where the feathers are plucked but the white ones do not. That was from a turkey breeder.

Actually the idea of a turkey ith black pin feathers is not as appetizing as white pin feathers (which are harder to see). The black turkeys do not have black skin.
 

bigelow

Executive Chef at Billy's Bistro
When y'all say smoke phase does this pass or is it permanent?
 

rosewood

Senior Member
Actually the idea of a turkey ith black pin feathers is not as appetizing as white pin feathers (which are harder to see). The black turkeys do not have black skin.

That is what I was trying to say.
 

Israel

BANNED
Bronze turkeys are also bred for table fare, but much less, presently, than whites.
When I worked on a turkey farm in the late 70's in Wisconsin, though whites were predominant, there were still some large outfits raising braod breasted bronze.
 

robert carter

Senior Member
I got video of a white one in the poewr lines at Ocmulgee WMA and I saw another there maybe 5 miles away. I killed a white jake here in Appling county probably 25 years ago. RC
 

ted_BSR

Senior Member
Smoke phase birds. Exceedingly rare, especially a gobbler. Amazing pictures!
 

REB 73

Senior Member
Thought this was a different looking hen.
 

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