Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys

Oregon Gray "aka" Light Gray

The Light Gray later known as the Oregon Gray turkey variety has been considered extinct for a decade now as the last known pair died back in the late 1990's. But they can be recreated since the necessary genes are present in several other Heritage turkey varieties.

I have been able to do this with an experimental breeding group of turkeys that I call Silver Dapples,which carry all the necessary genes.

So now the Oregon Gray is back for a second chance.

Oregon Grays have a white base plumage color with black pigmentation about the edges of the feathers. The typical black and white colored barring in the wing feathers appears as a mixing of the two colors without definition.

The adult pattern resembles the palm pattern but is different.

Toms are a shade darker than hens. At hatch, the gray poult has a yellow-gray down color with dark black or brown stripes on its back.

I have found through test breedings over the years that Oregon Grays are actually homozygous bronze based with a single gray and white gene as well as the addition of narragansett genes.

Genotype: bb cgc nn

This variety produces three results, Oregon gray, dark gray and white.

Approx. Mature Weights: Toms 33 pounds and hens 18 pounds.