Baby Blue Slate Turkey Poults
Hatching March to July. Turkey Poults are straight run only.
The gorgeous Blue Slate turkeys are a rare and old variety of domestic heritage breed turkeys.
History: As with most birds of a blue color, the breeding and selection necessary to produce Slate Blue turkeys can be a bit confusing. Unlike some varieties of chickens and ducks, though, the Slate Blue Turkey does breed true. In other words, a male and a female Slate Blue will produce Slate Blue Poults.
There is only one variety of Slate Blue Turkey, but with two genotypes. A Blue Slate may be one of three different colors:
Slate, which is also called a Splash - a solid, ashy blue with black spots scattered over the body
Blue - a lighter, solid, grayish-blue all over, with no black spots
Black - as you might expect - black all over
Slate Blue Turkeys were never bred for commercial purposes, and their development was not recorded. No one is really sure if this variety was developed in the New World before European contact, in Europe, or North America after the colonists settled.
One theory is that farmers bred for a specific color to distinguish their flocks from neighbors' flocks.
The APA recognized Slate Blues in the first Standard in 1874, and it is a popular choice for exhibition purposes. More breeders are needed, however, to preserve the genetic diversity and survival of the Slate Blue Turkey.
Like other heritage turkeys, the Blue Slate will be ready to process around 28 weeks.
Colors: The Slate Blue should be either an ashy blue with black spots or a solid, lighter blue with no spots. Hens are generally lighter in color than toms. Shanks and toes are pink; the beak is a horn color; wattles are red, as is the head and throat. Many specimens have a blue area around the eye.
Livestock Conservancy Status: Watch.
Standard Weights: Old Tom 33 lbs, Old Hen 18 lbs, Young Tom 23 lbs, Young Hen 14 lbs
Classification: American Poultry Association Class: Turkey
Any blue variety ordered from Purely Poultry may include chicks with black, blue, or splash plumage patterns.
