White Phase Turkey

[paul23]

So opening morning up to my familys camp, my brothers watching the ball game with the windows open and hears a gobble. Looks out the window in our yard and sees this. Do you guys really think this guys wild? Our land borders state land on one side and the few neighbors we have Ive never seen any domesticated ones around. He says it has a 8 inch beard or so if that means anything. Is the only way to tell would be to see if it will fly?

[Diamond Archer 01]

Not too sure but that is very cool either way.

[Dakota]

Cool pic! Might be mixed.

[woolybear]

Going off memmory I believe the term for that bird is mellenistic. No telling if he's wild or pen raised less you do a DNA test.

If he runs to the gun...he's wild as you want him to be.

[Guest TennesseeTurkey]

you could always kill him and then take him to the neighbors to see if he's WAS theirs

[Bowtech_archer07]

I know ccwhitey has seen a bird like that and they are a mix between a domestic and wild bird. He talked to a wildlife biologist and the biologist said they are legal to kill and to do so because they can hurt your flock and infest your flock with various diseases that only domestic birds usually get.

[ccwhitey]

I know ccwhitey has seen a bird like that and they are a mix between a domestic and wild bird. He talked to a wildlife biologist and the biologist said they are legal to kill and to do so because they can hurt your flock and infest your flock with various diseases that only domestic birds usually get.

He sure did. He told me to shot the bird at all costs because if it is a domestic bird by chance it can wipe-out a whole flock quicker than anything if it has some disease either genetic or an actual disease from a bacterium or virus.

There is of course a smoke phase that does happen from time to time. This is pretty much like a piebald deer in a way. I don't know what causes this whether it is from a pigment disorder passed on genetically or a melanin deficiency caused from diet. I would lean toward the first though. I'll try to explain it in lane man's terms. I bet the reason is because pigment inherited by codominant genes. Each gene has atleast two different forms. We will call a normal turkey "AA" and a normal albino turkey "aa." If a turkeys that have one "letter" of both forms of genes making it "Aa" then with codominant genes both forms are expressed creating a smoke phase turkey with both black and white feathers.

Sorry for the science lesson and I hope that I didn't confuse anyone. Now you know how I feel because I study this stuff for hours upon hours every day lol.

From what I have been reading if it is a broad breasted domesticated turkey it can't fly or breed. However "heritable breeds" of domestic turkeys can do both. I would say best bet is to shot it and find out later lol.

Edited May 6, 2010 by ccwhitey

[woolybear]

He sure did. He told me to shot the bird at all costs because if it is a domestic bird by chance it can wipe-out a whole flock quicker than anything if it has some disease either genetic or an actual disease from a bacterium or virus

FALSE:hammer1:

White feathers is not a hereditary "disease".

[ccwhitey]

FALSE:hammer1:

White feathers is not a hereditary "disease".

I did not mean that the feathers themselves are a disease. I meant that domestic birds catch and spread diseases like wild fire.

[EKYhunter]

That is a smoky-grey phase gobbler. Kill it!!!!!!!!! That is a very rare bird and a true trophy!

[Ethan Givan]

I dont think the smoke phase is quite that simple genetically. From what Ive read there are three color phases in turkeys. Black, Red, and Albino. These are from recessive genes that are not usually shown or genetic mutations. The smoke phase turkeys are actually incomplete albinos. My guess is its kinda like eye color in humans. There are only genes for blue or brown eyes. You get hazel, green, or other eye colors from crossover that happens during meiotic division. A peice of the blue gene sticks to the brown when the chromosomes are divided. But who cares really? They look cool. BTW most smoke phase turkeys are hens so I doubt that the gobbler in the pic is wild but there is always a chance.

[Prairiepredator]

That is really cool!