Tacchino Nero d'Italia

Tacchino Nero d'Italia, or Italian black turkey, is a traditional Italian black-plumaged domestic turkey type. The name refers first to color and regional identity: birds are expected to have dark feathers with a beetle-green sheen, while size and finer points can vary by line and local standard. It belongs with the lighter farm and heritage turkeys kept in Europe, not with the white broad-breasted hybrids used for intensive meat production.

For buyers and conservation keepers, black plumage alone is not enough proof of this Italian line, since black turkeys and black-crossed flocks occur in many countries. Good source records, unrelated breeding birds, and selection for fertility help maintain a useful flock. These turkeys are usually managed on small farms with shelter, roosts, and outdoor access, and breeding toms should be kept fit enough for natural mating. Dark feathers can leave more visible pinfeathers on dressed birds, a practical marketing point for small producers.

Colors: Black, Blue Slate, Bourbon Red, Bronze, Buff, Chocolate, Mottled, Narragansett, Penciled, Pied, Red Bronze, Royal Palm, Slate, White