Wild Turkeys at Brow Farm

The Wild Turkeys are a beautiful bird with a consistent and growing number of admirers. Indeed in the United States it is the most abundant and widely hunted turkey. Early poultry farmers created many of today's commercial and heritage turkey breeds using the Wild Turkey, crossing them with turkey breeds brought from Europe.

 

Wild Turkeys are excellent fliers. Found in many hardwood and softwood forests, cultivated pastures, and agricultural fields across the Eastern United States, the breed is extremely hardy and can easily adapt to different environments.

At Brow Farm, we raise wild turkeys here in the UK. Although not native to Britain, our birds have settled well into the local landscape. Their natural hardiness, ability to forage, and alert nature make them well-suited to life on a mixed regenerative farm. They are lively, curious, and bring a touch of wild character to the farm environment.

A male turkey is called a tom, stag or gobbler, while the female is a hen.

Weight
A turkey tom can weigh up to 20 pounds. A hen, on the other hand, will generally weigh between 8 and 12 pounds.

Wild Turkey’s Colour
Tail covert feathers have chestnut-brown tips. Tail feathers can be a dark buff or chocolate-brown colour.

The gobbler’s breast feathers are tipped in black. Other body feathers have a copper or bronze metallic iridescence. The primary wing feathers have white and black bars, while the secondary wing feathers mainly have prominent white bars.