Black Tikhoretsk Turkeys

a pedigreed group of small turkeys developed between 1952 and 1957 on kolkhozes and sovkhozes in Tikhoretsk Raion, Krasnodar Krai, through the selective breeding of local turkeys. The plumage is shiny black, with a bronze sheen on the tail. A tuft of black filamentous feathers extends from the base of the neck to the breast; these feathers are more developed in males. Adult males weigh 9–10 kg, and adult hens 4.5–5 kg. The young weigh 3.5–4 kg by 14 to 16 weeks of age and yield high-quality meat. The average egg yield is 80 to 90 per year; the hens are marked by a high level of fertility. Black Tikhoretsk turkeys are raised in Krasnodar Krai and Rostov and other oblasts.