Thane's Neck Farm - Narragansett Turkeys

The Narragansett turkey is named for Narragansett Bay
in Rhode Island. It descends from a cross between
native Eastern Wild turkeys and domestic turkeys
brought by English and European colonists. Improved
and standardized for production qualities, the
Narragansett was the foundation of the turkey industry
in New England.

The Narragansett variety is similar in color to the Bronze
breed, though it is lighter in color and in build.
Narragansett turkeys are gray or dull black with a white
bar on the wing feathers. The beak is horn colored, and
the head is red to bluish white. The Narragansett is
known for its calm disposition and maternal qualities, as
well as early maturation, good laying, and excellent meat
quality. This variety is smaller than the Bronze, with hens
weighing 18 pounds and toms 30 pounds.

Though the Narragansett was not as historically popular
as the Bronze, it has been widely used throughout New
England and the Midwestern states. It lost most of its
popularity during the twentieth century and it has not
been a fashionable commercial variety since then. Its
potential use today for small-scale, outdoor turkey
production is gaining popularity.