What is a Heritage Turkey?
The heritage turkey is a strain of domestic turkeys which still has genetic characteristics that a lot of the turkeys bred for consumption have not had since the 1950s.
They are biologically capable of being raised in a setting that is more like nature meaning that they have more natural behavior and lifestyle of wild turkeys. They have a long lifespan and grow much more slowly than other breeds of turkey. Also unlike other breeds of turkey that are bred for consumption, heritage turkeys can reproduce naturally (without artificial insemination).
Supposedly the turkey meat has a much more delicious taste and is healthier as well. Heritage turkeys are raised at 25,000 per year as opposed to 200,000,000 industrial turkeys with some heritage breeds in danger.
Prized for their rich flavor and beautiful plumage, Heritage Turkeys are the ancestors of the common Broad-breasted White industrial breed of turkey that comprises 99.99% of the supermarket turkeys sold today. But the Heritage Breeds still exist and are making a comeback. Most breeds of heritage turkey were developed in the United States and Europe over hundreds of years, and were identified in the American Poultry Association’s turkey Standard of Perfection of 1874. These breeds include the Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Narragansett, Jersey Buff, Slate, Black Spanish, and White Holland. Later added to the standard were the Royal Palm, White Midget and Beltsville Small White. Large corporations have dominated turkey production and breeding since the 1960’s, choosing the Broad Breasted Whites because of high breast meat production in a short period. But Heritage Breeds have been quietly gaining a renewed market and respect due to their flavor and superior biological diversity. Raising H
