Standard Bronze Turkey

Standard Bronze Turkey is an American heritage turkey breed descended from crosses between domestic European turkey stock and wild native turkeys, fixing an iridescent bronze, black and copper plumage pattern resembling the coloring of the wild turkey more closely than most other domestic breeds. It was the dominant commercial turkey breed in the United States through the early twentieth century, valued for size and meat quality, until breeders selected a broad breasted variant that eventually diverged into the modern commercial Broad Breasted Bronze and then the all-white Broad Breasted White Turkey, both unable to breed naturally because of their exaggerated body proportions. The original, naturally reproducing Standard Bronze declined sharply in numbers as the broad breasted commercial lines took over the market in the mid twentieth century. It survives today as a heritage breed conserved by small farms and breed organizations, distinguished from its broad breasted commercial descendants by its ability to breed and forage naturally.