how can you tell wild turkeys apart from bronze?

[syble]

I bought assorted pure bred turkey eggs this year for hatching, the birds are 3-5 months now, how can i tell wilds from bronze? Do the wilds have an overall darker look to them? anyone have comparison photos?
Thanks
Sib

 

[crj]

Quote:
Good question, I would like to know myself.

 

[flgardengirl]

I'm curious too. I have 2 bronze turkey hens and no males and there are lots of wild turkeys in the woods behind our property. I am thinking since my girls are about laying age the males might come try and romance them lol.

 

[jbourget]

these are my wild easterns....

 

[User105877]

the wild ones should be much smaller in size.

 

[jasonm11]

the wild easterns will have an irredesence to them that a bronze will never get

 

[Lagerdogger]

Eastern wilds are easy to tell from standard bronze by looking at the tail and tail coverts. In a standard bronze, the tip of the tail coverts and the terminal band on the tail are creamy, almost white. See the picture posted by jasonm11, which, sadly, is not an eastern wild. Compare that picture to the young eastern wilds posted by jbourget, which have much darker and less contrasting tail coverts and tail band. Some strains of wild turkeys do have lighter tail bands (turkeys found out west, and I think Rio Grandes as well), and jasons bird may be one of these. These would be more difficult to tell without side by side comparisons. Wilds will be lighter framed and smaller in size that standard bronze. Of course, broad-breasted bronzes would stand out as very different because of their very heavy legs and freakish size

 

[jasonm11]

Quote:
Lagerdogger, my understanding is a Merriam and an Eastern Wild are the same bird. I was told by the fella I bought my tom from that he is a Merriam. Please tell me what the diference is between tehm if you will.

 

[Lagerdogger]

Quote:
Merriam's turkey is one of the western turkeys I refered to with the white tail band and tail coverts. The following link gives a brief description and native range of Merriam's turkey. While all wild turkeys (and domestic turkeys for that matter) are the same species, Merriam's and eastern turkeys are different subspecies with different color patterns. Your Merriam's is a good looker, and certainly more rare in turkey owner's flocks than easter wild turkeys.

http://www.wildturkeyzone.com/wildturkey/merriams.htm

 

[adkins90]

Quote:
So, will the bronze not ever have the irredesence to them?

Michelle