# Brown & white turkey



## unclegrizz (Sep 12, 2005)

Here's a better pic of the chocolate and white turkey I had talked about before. Also, sorry for deleteing the other pic's I had, but I put them on too large and I couldn't post anymore. Now I know!!!


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

That is a cross between domestic an wild isn't it?
Bet it would taste good


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

It is a melanistic probelm in the turkeys genes. 

Like a piebald deer.


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## unclegrizz (Sep 12, 2005)

No, it's nature at it's best. 2 years ago I had a couple of smokey grays and haven't seen them. Now this big boy showed up three week's ago and is struten his stuff. Have a video of the two toms in the back ground chaseing him. But the reflection of the sun makes it hard to see.
Hope to bag him, full body mount for that one.
His tail feathers are short and I'm not sure if it's natrual or from fighting.


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

Do they ever cross with domestic ones ?


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## Steelslinger (Oct 13, 2004)

Wow, are you hunting from the house?


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## unclegrizz (Sep 12, 2005)

Only in my dreams!
I'm pretty lucky I guess, 40 acres of excellent hunting and fishing.
And to sit and watch the critters romp and play all day with out having to leave the house. (PRICELESS)


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## NEMichsportsman (Jul 3, 2001)

How close were you? or Do you just have a good zoom?

Cant see how big the beard is?

Hope you get him!


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## unclegrizz (Sep 12, 2005)

It was taken with a game camera (leaf river). I have other pic's of it also and you can't really tell what the beard is like other than not much there.
The whole bird is wierd, tail feathers and hardly a beard different clr.


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

I was kind of wondering about this turkey coloration, so I did a little research and found that your chocolate colored bird is what is referred to as a Bourbon Red breed of turkey, and yes, it is a domestic breed...not wild. Here is a website that has a good description about them.....

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Turkeys/BRKBourbonRed.html


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

Ack said:


> I was kind of wondering about this turkey coloration, so I did a little research and found that your chocolate colored bird is what is referred to as a Bourbon Red breed of turkey, and yes, it is a domestic breed...not wild. Here is a website that has a good description about them.....
> 
> http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Turkeys/BRKBourbonRed.html


I thought something was up with that. You see domestic ducks cross with wild ones why not turkeys. All we need now is a grouse to cross with a pheasent :lol:


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## PahtridgeHunter (Sep 1, 2004)

Overdew said:


> All we need now is a grouse to cross with a pheasent :lol:


But there aren't any grouse in MI!:lol:


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

Here we Go again:lol: 

From DNR web site upland game birds

*Wild turkey*
















*American Woodcock*[SIZE=-2]
[/SIZE]














*Bobwhite Quail* 
[SIZE=-2]
[/SIZE]















*Ring-necked Pheasant* [SIZE=-2]

*Mourning Dove*
[/SIZE]














*Ruffed Grouse*[SIZE=-2]

[/SIZE]
*Sharptail Grouse*


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## unclegrizz (Sep 12, 2005)

Cool,
Thanks for checking that out Ack, I would have never look into it. Now I wonder how it got around here.


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## woodie slayer (Feb 25, 2006)

well if it's a tame one use him for patterning. blast his butt and stick him in the deep fryer. save your tag for a wild one:evilsmile


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## Lil' Tanker (Jan 9, 2002)

I have seen birds like this before. I would totally agree that that bird is part if not all domestic. I went to school in Midland and there was a few of those hanging around. There is no season on animals like that so put him down and fry him for easter. The coloring in the head, short tailfeathers, short beard, are all tell tail signs of a domesticated bird. Try to listen to him gobble and look at him feet, two other things that should be different from a wild bird.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

From the DOZENS of reports of partially white, half white, or all white turkeys on this forum ALONE in the last few years, when in reality, a piebald or albino wild turkey is a VERY rare occurrence, there's no doubt in my mind this bird is either part or all domestic blood. 

I'll bet they're all over the place down there. I've seen them up here, too, but we make a real effort to control them, and so does the DNR up here. 

And yes, wild turkeys WILL breed with domestic birds-that's why domestic breeders hate the wild birds-the wild gobblers will steal the tame hens, kill the tame gobblers, and cause all kinds of havoc. 

Take him out-domestic birds are no good for wild birds. They tend to "dumb" down the wild birds, making it harder for them to survive in the wild, and if unvaccinated, can cause epidemics in wild birds that will wipe out entire flocks overnight.

Took another look at the photo-see how this tom is on the edge, away from the other strutting toms? He can't compete with them, and probably knows better than to try to. If he interferes with them too much, they'll kill him before anyone else gets a chance to.


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

Some of the first turkeys that we got down in this part of the state, they thought where tame birds but then someone spoke up and said no they aren't they are smokies. The area where are birds came from have a higher than avg accures of the birds haveing white or gray feathers. I would ask the DNR First before shooting anything that isn't in a pin and beside take alook at the legs all of the tame turkeys I have seen have more of a pink colored legs.


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## unclegrizz (Sep 12, 2005)

I sent an email to the farm in Kentukey and they replyed rather quickly. She agree's it's a bourbon red. She also said that some poor guy took one and had his stuffed thinking it was a rare bird and was really disapointed when he found out the truth.:yikes: 

So I think I will have a special guest for Easter this year and it won't be a bunnie. Unless, aw nevermind.

She also made a commet about the DNR hateing to seem them out there.


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