The White Holland was developed in central Mexico during the Aztec empire in the 1500's. From there, they were taken to Europe where they were very popular because of the white feathers leaving no marks on the meat carcass. They were quite popular in Austria and Holland, hence the name. They came to the United States sometime during the 1800's where they were shown for their white plumage. They were recognized by the APA in 1874. Even though the White Holland is small it is still more desirable than some of the other larger breeds. They have red necks with blue around the eyes and forehead. The beak is horn colored and the beard is black.

 

The White Holland is very rare because the snow white feathering and the height and weight are hard to be exact when breeding turkeys. There are many white turkeys that are claimed to be White Hollands. They are often confused with the Broad Breasted Whites, which are larger than White Hollands. The tom weighs around 36 lbs whereas the hen weighs 20 lbs.

 

 

References

ohnson, Sibylle. "White Holland Turkeys Aka White Holland, Holland White, Austrian White Turkey or Wild Turkey." Beauty Of Birds. Avianweb, n.d. Web. 15 July 2015.

 

Roberts, Victoria. British Poultry Standards (6th Edition). Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 15 July 2015.

 

"White Holland Turkey." The Livestock Conservancy. The Livestock Conservancy, n.d. Web. 15 July 2015.