TURKEY RAISING 



color to a lighter shade which may be yellow or creamy, 

 while in the Bronze variety, this edging should be a pure 

 white. The introduction of wild blood in the Bronze 

 variety can usually be detected by the fact that this edging 

 is not pure white. 



When crossed with the Bronze, the wild turkey is more 

 prepotent. In fact, it is difficult, if not impossible, to tell 

 by the color a three- fourths wild bird from a pure wild. 

 However, the crossing increases the size over the wild. 

 Half wild gobblers are often used in introducing wild 

 blood into the domestic turkeys. It was hoped at one time 

 that crossing with the wild variety would result in greater 

 immunity from blackhead, but this has not proven to be 

 the case, and the pure wild variety seems to be about as 

 subject to blackhead, at least under domestication, as any 

 of the domesticated varieties. 



To most people the meat of the wild turkey is superior 

 to that of the domesticated on account of its more gamey 

 flavor. In a general way it may be said that the wild bird 

 is a tighter, harder feathered bird than the domestic tur- 

 key, and that it has a more racy appearance of body and 

 is of a more restless, nervous temperament. These birds 

 are very quick motioned and can run very rapidly and 

 also fly very well. The egg of the wild turkey is smaller 

 and more pointed than that of the domesticated varieties. 



There is quite a difference in the shade of coloring of 

 wild turkeys from different sections of the country. The 

 wild turkey from the extreme South seems to be some- 

 what more brilliant in color than the birds farther 



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