Video - My hen houses

After a long silence, a new post to have a look at my hen houses! The video it's in italian... but I hope that however the images will speak clearly. Ciao!

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Suggested readings

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Poultry - The Rovigo Ermine Turkey

Among the many breeds of Italian turkeys, The Rovigo Ermine Turkey is one of the few that is well known outside its home region, the Veneto. Either for the beautiful livery and for good production skills and the instinct for breeding, the breed has spread quite well among fans, but is still rather common.
Was Prof. Raffaello Quilici, Institute of Experimental Poultry Rovigo, in 1958, which starts from common bronzed turkeys and inserting Narragansett (one of the finest American turkey breeds) got to a point mutation of the selection by a small livery heads a group of ermine, on which to continue efforts to standardize the production characteristics and size.

The breed is characterized by flesh-colored legs, white skin, an ermine livery that resembles that of the German race Crollwitzer, and a medium size, with females who stood about 5 Kg and males 11 Kg. These birds are very rustic and precocious, fast feathering, also suitable for farming in the mountains. The females are excellent brooders, perfect to complete broods of many poultry, also because of their size is not excessive. Unfortunately, the lack of uniformity of somatic characteristics often leads to think that we can improve the characteristics of the livery by crossing with other breeds. In truth, the mere effort of the farmers should be more selective than enough to maximize the uniformity of the livery of this breed.The animals pictured here belonging to my friend Marco Bindocci, they become from the flock of the University of Perugia, I also had the pleasure of seeing an equally beautiful and very uniform flock, well characterized, near a farmer in Casalserugo (PD), which was obtained by a pure breed male had by Institute of St. Benedict of Padua and a group of bronze female with a right size. It 'goes without saying that in this case, that should be taken as an example, were the stubbornness and the assiduous selection made by these farmers to enable such an outcome. Should serve as inspiration and reference for every farmer, especially in these times when the word "selection" seems to scare the fans more than many others.

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Poultry - A little gallery about poor know Italian Turkey breeds

In this post I will include a series of shots of various italian local Turkeys breeds and flocks, selected from those who in recent years have more impressed me. 


This is a simple invitation to look closely at the poultry biodiversity that surrounds us, and maybe watch the farm animals with different eyes. The fact that some of these strains are extinct or nearly so, should make us reflect on the wealth of valuable genes that the current generation of poultry farmers are leaving behind.

 EUGANEI HILLS BRONZED

Light bronzed breed. This flock come from the Duca degli Abruzzi Institut of Padoua.

EUGANEI HILLS WHITE

A totally withe flock that was coming from the bronzed one, selected by the paduan breeder Bruno Rossetto. Actually almost extinct.

ROSSETTO'S LIGHT BLUE

Very similar to the ancient breed Corticella Lilac, but similar in size to the Euganei Hills Bronzed. Selected by Mr. Bruno Rossetto, actually near extinct. Very few specimens are kept by paduan Association "La Fattoria in Città"; a female actually present in my breeding stock. Picture from 1996 - thanks to Mr. Bruno Rossetto.

LESSINI HILLS BRONZED

Light flock very similar to the Euganei Hills Bronzed, but with yellow skin. Kept by very few families  from Lessini hills and mantova region.

BROWN-LILAC (CAMPONOGARA - VENICE)

Local flock from Camponogara, very few families still kept this turkeys, medium in size.

BLACK (FIGLINE VALDARNO - FLORENCE)

Black local flock, impossible to determine its origins. May be from the Nero d'Italia breed, may be from american breeds.