History of the Norfolk Black Turkey

The Norfolk Black Turkey was bought to Europe, by the Spanish from Mexico around the year 1500 where it had been partially domesticated by the Aztecs. They were thought to be brought to England in 1524 and were well known in Britain by the mid-16th century. Norfolk Blacks and the Cambridge Bronze were thought to be the first Turkeys to reach England and soon became an alternative to goose meat for a rich man's feast.

The county of Norfolk in the East of England proved to be an ideal place for raising turkeys. Norfolk and Suffolk already had a well established poultry industry producing many geese for the lucrative London Christmas markets. Birds were put out onto the fields of stubble after the harvest fattening up nicely on grain that would otherwise have been wasted, leaving manure on the fields as they went.

Black turkeys are still reared in Spain although Whites (originally bred from bronze turkeys) being bigger with a broader breast and faster growing are more suited to the commercial turkey farming businesses in Norfolk.
Norfolk Black turkeys produce more eggs than other breeds, around 70 to 80 per year (compared to 40 or so). This breed can mate naturally (unlike their white commercial counterparts that are so big and heavy they rely on artificial insemination. Females should be fitted with saddles to protect them from the claws of the males during treading just like chickens require during the breeding season.
Norfolk Blacks are slow to mature (they take around six months to reach full maturity) and are very active, being more suited to free range rearing, their meat gives a deeper flavour and more tightly grained meat than the intensively reared whites.

Today, Norfolk Black turkeys are facing extinction. Many farmers crossed other heavier breeds with Blacks in order to improve their weight for the commercial market making true Blacks harder to find. With these constricting bloodlines, it is important that there always remains a number of enthusiasts maintaining stocks to help preserve this beautiful bird.

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