AY Honors/Poultry/Mammoth Bronze Turkey

Mammoth Bronze turkey

The Mammoth Bronze is similar to the wild turkey, but it is quite a bit larger. Its feathers are an iridescent black with hints of green. The feathers of the rump have bronze coloring (thus the name), while the feathers in the front have hints of red and green.

It is calmer than most other breeds which makes them quite a bit easier to handle. Some people even use them as pets, though it is more common for them to be used for meat production. Toms weigh between 25 and 40 pounds, while hens weigh between 14 and 26 pounds.

The broad-breasted is more common than the "unimproved" variety. The large breast interferes with natural mating, so they must be artificially inseminated.

For images of the Mammoth Bronze, see the following

• http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/poultry/turkeys/bronze/
• http://www.centralpets.com/animals/birds/domestic_birds/dbd4875.html