The Dindon rouge des Ardennes turkey is a breed of turkey which supposedly brought to Flanders in the sixteenth century from Mexico by the Spanish.
The breed almost disappeared, but started again in 1985, especially in Champagne-Ardenne.
Today it is the most popular turkey breed in France. Read some more information about this turkey breed below.
Dindon rouge des Ardennes Turkey Characteristics
The Dindon rouge des Ardennes turkey are medium sized birds with very beautiful appearance.
They are generally of red or rust color with white in the wings and tail feathers.
Red color of the tail is cleaner and the large feathers of the wings are more or less shaded with red. Feathers of the tom are bordered by a thin, very dark brown fillet.
And the hens are of pretty brighter. Both toms and hens have thick and strong thighs, and their fingers are of pink color.
Average live body weight of the mature tom is between 8 to 9 kg. And the mature hens on average weight around 4-4.5 kg. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
The Dindon rouge des Ardennes turkey is raised mainly for meat production.
Special Notes
The Dindon rouge des Ardennes turkey birds are hardy and strong animals. They do very well in free range system, but they can also be kept in large pen with a roof covering.
They are wild and energetic in terms of temperament and can fly. The hens are excellent mothers and they can hatch their eggs. The hens on average produce between 30 and 60 eggs per year.
Today the breed is raised and popular in France for meat production. The meat is of very good quality.
Growth rate of the Dindon rouge des Ardennes turkey is relatively slow and they generally take around 7 to 8 months for maturing.
However, review full breed profile of this turkey breed in the following chart.
Breed Name | Dindon rouge des Ardennes |
Other Names | Red Turkey of the Ardennes |
Breed Purpose | Meat |
Special Notes | Very hardy and strong animals, do very well in free range system, can also be kept in large pen with a roof covering, wild and energetic in terms of temperament, good flyers, the hens are excellent mothers, the hens can hatch their eggs, popular in France for meat, relatively slow growth rate |
Breed Size | Medium |
Tom | 8 to 9 kg |
Hen | 4 to 4.5 kg |
Climate Tolerance | Do well in native climate |
Color | Red or rust with white in the wings and tail feathers |
Rarity | Rare |
Country/Place of Origin | France |