Hot for Heritage - Tips for Consumers Buying Heritage Turkeys for Thanksgiving
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1927 Jesse Throssel, an immigrant England to British Columbia, Canada, imported two lines of turkeys (a Bronze and a White) that had been selected for greater breast width. These were known as the Cambridgeshire lines.
1938 Mrs. H. P. Griffin coined the term “Broad Breasted Bronze.” This was a commercial term that meant double-breasted in which mounds of muscle were on both sides of the keel bone.
(Pittsboro, NC) – Over the past ten years, the market for heritage turkeys has skyrocketed. Just like heirloom seeds, these heritage breeds have shaped the course of American agriculture. Today, many of these historic turkey breeds are threatened with extinction, but each Thanksgiving consumers have the opportunity to reverse this trend. By “eating them to save them” farmers are encouraged to raise more and more of these breeds, ensuring the future of these animals in agriculture.
If you are looking to buy a heritage turkey for your Thanksgiving meal, consider some of these tips:
• Buy local. Purchase your heritage turkey from a local farmer or farmers’ market. If you order a bird from afar, sticker shock may ensue. Shipping fresh or frozen meats can be upwards of $80-$100.
• Be prepared to pay a bit more. Heritage turkeys are like a fine wine, slow to mature. Commercial turkeys reach market weight in 18 weeks, compared to 24 to 30 weeks for heritage breeds. This slow growth rate means it costs farmers more money to raise these birds. Be ready to pay a premium price of $5.50 per pound and even up to $12 per pound depending on your location.
• Breast lovers beware; you’ll need to adjust your expectations. Heritage turkeys typically have longer breasts that are less broad than commercial turkeys. (Commercial birds are bred to have abnormally large breasts.) If you like thigh meat, you’ll be in luck. Heritage turkeys have longer, meatier legs – meaning more dark meat.
• When cooking heritage turkeys, low and slow are the words to know. Because of their different biological make-up, heritage turkeys need to be cooked at lower temperatures for longer periods of time. Do not overcook!
• Savor the flavor. Heritage turkeys are rich, moist, and more flavorful than the birds you’ll find in your local supermarket. Don’t over-season them when cooking. You’ll want to be sure you can enjoy the intrinsic flavors of these unique breeds.
• Act fast! Because of the rise in interest in heritage turkeys, many farmers begin taking orders in July. By early November, heritage turkeys will be a hot commodity. If you want one on your Thanksgiving table, make arrangements now! Visit www.rarebreedsearch.com or www.localharvest.com to find a farmer near you.
A Brief Timeline of the Domesticated Turkey
2000 years ago Domestication of the turkey by Aztecs in Mexico and Mayans in Central America
Early 1500 Cortez and Spanish explorers find both wild and domesticated turkeys
1500 - 1519 Turkey first taken back to Spain
1500s Several European varieties were developed including:
• Norfolk Black
• Cambridgeshire Bronze
• White Austrian
• Buff
• Blue
• Ronquieres (a small variegated Belgian variety)
By 1600 Turkeys were found throughout Europe. Turkey was widely used in celebrations and holiday feasts and was well regarded for its sumptuous meat.
Early 1600 European varieties of turkeys return to North America with colonists.
1621 First Thanksgiving is celebrated at Plymouth Colony. According to folklore wild turkey was served as a main course.
By 1700 Domesticated turkeys were plentiful in the mid-Atlantic region and through the Coastal South.
October 3, 1789 George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving.
October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday. (This has been traditionally celebrated on the last Thursday of November.)
1874 The American Poultry Association (APA) was formed. They established and adopted Standards for five varieties of turkeys:
• Bronze
• Narragansett
• White Holland
• Black
• Slate
1909 Bourbon Red was accepted into the APA Standard of Perfection
1951 Beltsville Small White was accepted into the APA Standard of Perfection
1971 Royal Palm was accepted into the APA Standard of Perfection
1900s Breeders in Washington and Oregon produced larger birds with broader breasts. These were called Mammoth Bronze.
1927 Jesse Throssel, an immigrant England to British Columbia, Canada, imported two lines of turkeys (a Bronze and a White) that had been selected for greater breast width. These were known as the Cambridgeshire lines.
Late 1930s Cambridgeshire Bronzes had been crossed into the Mammoth Bronze population, including the renowned Wagon Wheel Ranch strain.
1938 Mrs. H. P. Griffin coined the term “Broad Breasted Bronze.” This was a commercial term that meant double-breasted in which mounds of muscle were on both sides of the keel bone.
1950s Fertility troubles began to occur. Broad-breasted conformation brings with it a shorter keel bone and shorter shanks in addition to the bulkier muscle mass on the breast. This conformation prevents males from effectively mounting females, resulting in lower fertility rates. Industry began to perfect artificial insemination techniques to compensate.
1950s Large, white feathered varieties were developed. These dressed-out more cleanly. Breeders competed at shows based on side-by-side comparisons of productivity. Breeders include: Amerine, Browning, Gozzi, Jerome, Jones, Keithly, Kimber, Lovelace, Lyons, Nicholas, Rose-a-Linda, and Wrolstad.
1960s These large white turkeys began appearing in the market. At this time, most consumers purchased dressed birds based on carcass appearance. The white varieties were preferred because they lacked the dark pin feathers and melanin that remained in the carcass of colored feathered birds.
1960s Artificial insemination became common practice among commercial breeders.
1997 The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) conducted a census of Standard varieties of turkeys maintained by hatcheries. The total number of breeding birds of all Standard varieties was 1,335. ALBC began actively promoting Heritage Turkeys.
2003 ALBC conducted a second census, including a survey of individual breeders. The total breeding birds of all Standard and non-standard varieties was 4,412.
2004 – 2006 ALBC and Virginia Tech conducted research that demonstrated that Heritage Turkeys have more robust immune systems than industrial strains.
2006 ALBC conducted third census. The total breeding birds of all Standard and non-standard varieties was 10,404.
About the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy:
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect over 180 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction. Included are donkeys, cattle, goats, horses, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Founded in 1977, ALBC is the pioneer organization in the U.S. working to conserve historic breeds and genetic diversity in livestock. ALBC’s mission is to ensure the future of agriculture through genetic conservation and the promotion of endangered breeds of livestock and poultry.
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