Narragansett Turkey

Narragansett turkey breed info

What it is

A classic American heritage turkey developed around the Narragansett Bay/Rhode Island area, built from crossings of local wild-type turkeys with domestic stock brought by early settlers.
It was admitted to the first American Standard of Perfection in 1874.

Look & markings

  • Distinct “striped” patterning in black, gray, tan, and white; often compared to Bronze-type patterning, but with steel gray/dull black replacing bronze tones.
  • White wing bars are tied to a genetic change that removes bronze coloration (a hallmark frequently mentioned for the variety).
  • Typical features described: horn-colored beak; head/neck red to bluish-white; black beard; salmon/pinkish shanks/feet.

Size / standard weights (handy for shows & expectations)

Commonly cited live weights:

  • Young tom: ~23 lb
  • Young hen: ~14 lb
  • Mature (“old”) tom: ~33 lb
  • Mature (“old”) hen: ~18 lb

Real-world farm ranges you’ll see (varies by line & feed):

  • Toms ~22–28 lb, hens ~12–16 lb is a commonly quoted “typical” range.
    (And some sources note mature toms can reach the high 20s with good lines and nutrition.)

Temperament & behavior

  • Often described as calm/even-tempered with strong maternal traits.
  • Hardy, active foragers; when given space, many don’t roam far from home.
  • They can be strong flyers/roosters and may prefer roosting up high (even in trees), so plan fencing/roosts accordingly.

Eggs & mothering

  • Egg descriptions commonly include tinted/off-white/ivory with brown speckling.
  • Strong notes across breed profiles: good brooding and mothering, plus ability to mate naturally (a key “heritage” trait).
  • Egg production gets reported inconsistently (some call them good layers; others rate them poor), so it’s safest to think seasonal/moderate layers where line selection matters.

Meat qualities (if you’re raising some for the table)

  • Frequently praised for excellent flavor/meat quality; one practical note is darker pinfeathers can take more effort to clean up for a “pretty” carcass.

Conservation note

Breed organizations describe the population as not very large and highlight preservation-focused breeding.

Source: ChatGPT