Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- November 20, 2007
"New" breeds of turkeys offer variety from older breeding lines (:46)
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Suggested Intro:
THE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO THANKSGIVING ARE HERITAGE TURKEYS - OLDER BREEDS THAT CAN LEND A DISTINCTIVE FLAIR TO YOUR HOLIDAY MEAL. BUT A POULTRY EXPERT IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS FLAIR AND FLAVOR ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:
Story:
(:12) THEY HAVE NAMES LIKE BOURBON RED, SLATE AND ROYAL PALM. PENN STATE POULTRY SCIENTIST MIKE HULET SAYS THESE UNUSUAL BREEDS CAN BE FOUND IN SPECIALTY MARKETS AND USUALLY COST MUCH MORE THAN THE FAMILIAR ALL-WHITE BIRDS.
(:09) HULET SAYS TODAY'S COMMERICAL BIRD WAS BRED FOR WHITE FEATHERS WHEN PRODUCERS SAW THAT THE BRILLIANT FEATHERS OF HERITAGE BIRDS LEFT SLIGHT PIGMENT SPOTS ON THE TURKEY'S FLESH:
Hulet Actuality:
(:17) "AND THE CONSUMER SAYS THEY DIDN'T PARTICULARLY LIKE THAT. AND SO WHEN THEY SELECTED A WHITE PIGMENTATION FOR THOSE FEATHERS, THEY LEFT NO COLOR. AND SO, IT MADE THE TURKEY HAVE THAT WHITE-SKINNED APPEARANCE. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE - THE BIRD ITSELF, AND THE MEAT, AND THE COLOR OF THE SKIN IS ALL THE SAME FOR ALL THE BIRDS."(:08) HULET SAYS TODAY'S COMMERCIAL TURKEY HAS ALSO BEEN BRED TO PRODUCE MORE BREAST MEAT - ANOTHER POPULAR FEATURE. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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