Norfolk Black turkey
The Norfolk Black is thought to be Britain's oldest turkey: a dense black, light-class bird from East Anglia.
The Norfolk Black is a pure-bred turkey breed in the PCGB Light class. Its origin is given as England. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in light form. Recognised colours: Black.
It lays cream, speckled eggs.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, turkeyclub.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Turkey
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Light
- Origin
- England
History
Turkeys came to England from Spain in the 1520s, and William Strickland is often credited with bringing them. Black birds were favoured by Norfolk farmers and became recognised as English. Taken back to America in the 1600s and crossed with the Eastern Wild, they helped give rise to the Slate, Narragansett and Bronze.
Appearance
Dense black all over, with a black beak and dark eyes. Black legs turn pink with age. Poults are black with creamy white on the face, breast and belly. Turkey Club UK standard weights: mature stag 11.35 kg, mature hen 5.9–6.8 kg.
Recognised colours
Black
Size and weight
- Forms
- Light
Eggs
- Egg colour
- Cream, speckled
- Notes
- No egg figure was given.
Temperament
Not recorded yet.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
- Good to know
- Any feather colour other than black is a defect.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist.
Breed club
- Turkey Club UK, umbrella · Website
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
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