BBB Turkey
Breed Description

The Broad Breasted Bronze turkey was developed in the mid-20th century through intensive selective breeding from heritage Bronze turkeys, the same process that created Broad Breasted White turkeys. Breeders selected for extremely rapid growth, maximum breast meat development, and efficient feed conversion, creating a bird dramatically different from its heritage Bronze ancestors. The development occurred primarily in the 1950s and 1960s as commercial turkey production industrialized and demand grew for larger birds with more white meat to satisfy changing American consumer preferences.

The term "Broad Breasted" refers to the extreme breast development that characterizes these commercial birds—their breast is so wide and heavily muscled that it prevents natural mating, distinguishing them immediately from heritage Bronze turkeys. The name "Bronze" refers to their coloring, which resembles the beautiful bronze, copper, and iridescent plumage of heritage Bronze turkeys. This coloring was maintained primarily for small-scale growers and direct marketers who wanted the traditional bronze appearance but with commercial production characteristics.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys are sometimes abbreviated as "BBB" or referred to as "commercial Bronze" to distinguish them from heritage Bronze varieties. Some sources call them "production Bronze" or "industrial Bronze." The American Poultry Association does not recognize Broad Breasted Bronze as a standard variety because they cannot reproduce naturally and do not conform to heritage breed standards—their extreme conformation violates the standards established for Bronze turkeys, which require birds capable of natural mating and normal turkey behavior.

By the 1970s, Broad Breasted White turkeys had largely replaced Broad Breasted Bronze in commercial production because white feathers are less visible if any remain after processing, creating a more cosmetically appealing carcass. However, Broad Breasted Bronze remained popular with small farmers, homesteaders, and direct marketers who value the traditional bronze appearance, finding that customers often prefer the "old-fashioned" look for Thanksgiving and holiday meals even though the meat quality is identical to white varieties. Today, Broad Breasted Bronze represent a niche market—larger than heritage breeds but much smaller than Broad Breasted White commercial production. They offer maximum meat production with traditional coloring, though they share all the welfare concerns, limitations, and management challenges of other broad-breasted commercial varieties.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys display stunning bronze, copper, and black plumage with iridescent green and red sheens identical to heritage Bronze turkeys in coloring. Each body feather shows metallic bronze to copper coloring with black bands, creating a rich, lustrous appearance especially striking in sunlight. The tail feathers display characteristic bronze and black barring with white or buff tips, and wing feathers show white or light buff edging. This beautiful traditional coloring makes them visually appealing and popular for holiday tables where appearance matters to customers.

However, their body conformation is dramatically different from heritage Bronze turkeys. Broad Breasted Bronze possess extremely wide, deep breasts that dominate their body profile, creating an almost grotesque front-heavy appearance. Mature toms weigh 40-50+ pounds at 18-22 weeks, with some individuals exceeding 60 pounds, while hens reach 20-30 pounds at the same age. Their breast width is so extreme that toms physically cannot mount hens for mating—the breast prevents them from achieving the position necessary for natural reproduction, requiring artificial insemination for any breeding.

Their legs appear disproportionately small relative to their massive breast and overall body weight, creating structural stress that leads to leg problems, difficulty walking, and mobility limitations. They stand and move with an unnatural, labored gait, and cannot run, fly, or engage in normal turkey behaviors like wild displaying or roosting at height. Their cardiovascular systems struggle to support their extreme body mass, contributing to high mortality rates from heart failure, particularly if birds are stressed by heat, overexertion, or kept beyond 24 weeks of age.

Their heads and necks feature the typical bare skin of turkeys, changing color with mood and showing red, white, and blue when excited. Toms develop snoods and wattles, though displaying behavior is minimal compared to heritage breeds due to their physical limitations. Both sexes grow beards (modified breast feathers), though these are less impressive than in heritage varieties. Their legs and feet are typically pink to red, equipped with strong claws, though their weight limits normal scratching behavior.

The overall appearance combines the beautiful traditional bronze coloring with an extreme, unnatural body shape reflecting decades of selection solely for meat production without consideration for natural behavior, health, or longevity. Young poults appear similar to heritage Bronze poults but rapidly develop their characteristic extreme breast width as they grow. By 12-14 weeks, the difference between heritage and broad-breasted types becomes obvious and increasingly pronounced until processing.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys display extremely calm, docile, almost lethargic temperaments that reflect their physical limitations as much as selective breeding. They exhibit minimal nervousness, rarely startle or flush, and show little of the alertness and wariness characteristic of heritage turkeys or wild ancestors. This placid nature makes them easy to manage and handle but results largely from their inability to engage in normal turkey behaviors—they simply cannot run, fly to escape threats, or move quickly in response to stimuli.

Their daily behavior is dominated by eating, resting, and minimal movement. They spend far more time sitting or standing quietly than heritage breeds, as their extreme weight and cardiovascular limitations make sustained activity difficult or impossible. When they do move, they walk slowly and deliberately with a labored, waddling gait reflecting the strain their legs experience supporting such disproportionate weight. They cannot scratch vigorously for food, dust bathe actively, or engage in the energetic foraging that characterizes heritage turkeys.

Social behaviors are simplified compared to heritage breeds. Broad Breasted Bronze establish gentle hierarchies but show minimal territorial or aggressive behavior. Toms rarely display with the impressive strutting, tail fanning, and wing dragging of heritage varieties because these behaviors require physical capabilities they lack. Gobbling occurs but less frequently than in active heritage breeds, and courtship behaviors are minimal since they cannot mate naturally. Their social interactions consist primarily of quiet coexistence rather than the dynamic flock relationships seen in heritage varieties.

Vocalizations are moderate, with less gobbling, alarm calling, and general communication than heritage breeds. This reduced vocalization reflects their lower activity levels and diminished behavioral repertoire. They show little interest in investigating their environment, rarely explore or problem-solve, and display minimal curiosity about novel objects or changes. This behavioral simplification makes them easier to manage in some ways but represents a significant departure from normal turkey behavior and psychology.

Critically, Broad Breasted Bronze lack the survival instincts and physical capabilities necessary for anything beyond intensive management. They don't recognize or flee from predators effectively, cannot escape threats through flight or running, and have no defensive capabilities beyond their size. They overheat easily in warm weather, showing distress and potentially dying from heat stress that heritage breeds handle without issue. They cannot regulate their food intake appropriately, overeating if feed is available and becoming even more obese and prone to health problems. Their behavior reflects domestication taken to an extreme where nearly all natural capabilities have been sacrificed for production characteristics.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys require substantial, extremely well-managed housing providing 20-30 square feet of shelter space per bird due to their massive size, with larger spaces reducing problems from overcrowding and overheating. Shelters must have excellent ventilation to manage heat stress risk, with temperature control critical for flock health. Ceiling height can be lower than for heritage turkeys (5-6 feet adequate) since these birds cannot and should not roost at height—their weight makes jumping down from even low roosts dangerous, causing leg injuries and bumblefoot.

Provide ground-level resting areas with thick, soft bedding rather than roosts, as broad-breasted turkeys sleep on the ground due to their inability to roost. Use straw, wood shavings, or sand in thick layers (6+ inches) to cushion their weight and prevent breast blisters, leg sores, and bumblefoot from constant pressure on hard surfaces. Keep bedding scrupulously clean and dry, as damp conditions rapidly lead to respiratory problems, foot infections, and breast blisters (fluid-filled lesions on the breast from lying on wet or soiled bedding).

Outdoor runs should provide 50-75 square feet per bird but must be carefully designed. Use level ground exclusively, as slopes stress their cardiovascular systems and legs. Avoid rough terrain, obstacles, or anything requiring jumping or climbing. Provide excellent drainage preventing muddy conditions that cause foot problems and make walking even more difficult. Limit outdoor access to morning and evening during hot weather, keeping birds inside during midday heat when heat stress risk is highest. Some growers successfully raise Broad Breasted Bronze entirely indoors with no outdoor access, particularly in hot climates.

Predator protection remains essential despite these birds' confinement raising. Use hardware cloth with 1/2-inch mesh on all openings, bury wire 12-18 inches or use aprons, and install predator-proof latches. However, broad-breasted turkeys have virtually no defensive capabilities—they cannot flee, fight effectively, or escape predators through flight. A single predator attack can devastate a flock, as birds cannot scatter or protect themselves.

Climate management is critical and challenging. Heat stress is the primary concern, as their extreme body mass and rapid metabolism generate tremendous heat while their cardiovascular systems struggle to cool them. Provide shade covering 100% of outdoor areas, ensure excellent ventilation or fans in shelters, offer constant access to cool fresh water, and consider misters or shallow pools during temperatures above 80°F. Many growers lose birds to heat stress every summer despite precautions. Cold stress is less common but possible in extreme cold, as their large body mass relative to heritage breeds makes them less cold-hardy than expected. Provide draft-free but well-ventilated shelter.

Daily management includes feeding high-quality turkey feed free-choice, ensuring constant access to fresh cool water (critical for heat management), monitoring for leg problems or respiratory issues, removing any wet bedding immediately, and watching for heat stress symptoms (panting, wings spread, lethargy). Broad Breasted Bronze should be processed at 16-18 weeks for optimal market weights (20-25 lbs for hens, 30-40 lbs for toms) or absolute maximum 22-24 weeks, as keeping birds beyond this dramatically increases mortality from heart failure, leg problems, and general health deterioration. Planning processing dates when starting poults is essential, as these birds cannot be kept long-term like heritage varieties.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys require carefully formulated, high-quality commercial turkey feed throughout their short lives to support their extreme growth rates and massive size. From hatch until 8 weeks, provide turkey starter containing 28-30% protein in crumble form, supporting the rapid skeletal and muscle development essential for their extreme growth. Water must be available 24/7 from day one using poult-safe waterers preventing drowning while allowing easy access. Even brief water deprivation can cause serious setbacks in rapidly growing birds.

From 8-12 weeks, transition to turkey grower containing 20-22% protein, supporting continued rapid weight gain while theoretically preventing excessively fast growth that stresses developing systems—though in practice, these birds grow at extreme rates regardless of management. From 12 weeks until processing, provide finisher feed with 16-18% protein optimized for final weight gain and meat quality. Some growers use medicated feeds containing coccidiostats to prevent coccidiosis, particularly important in these fast-growing birds susceptible to stress-related disease.

Feed consumption is substantial and accelerates as birds grow. Young poults eat modest amounts but by 12-16 weeks, birds consume 3/4 to over 1 pound of feed daily each. Total feed consumption from hatch to processing at 18-20 weeks runs approximately 60-80 pounds per bird for toms, 40-50 pounds for hens. Feed represents the primary cost of raising Broad Breasted Bronze, typically $40-70 per bird depending on feed prices and final processing weight. Feed conversion ratios are excellent—approximately 2.5-3.5 pounds of feed per pound of live weight gain—making them efficient converters of feed to meat.

Provide feed free-choice in turkey-sized feeders preventing waste and contamination, ensuring all birds can access feed simultaneously. Monitor feed consumption carefully, as decreased eating often signals illness onset and allows early intervention. However, these birds will overeat if allowed, potentially exacerbating obesity and health problems, though most growers maintain free-choice feeding to maximize growth rates for processing.

Foraging is essentially irrelevant for Broad Breasted Bronze. They cannot forage effectively due to mobility limitations, tire quickly from walking, and cannot cover enough ground to obtain significant nutrition from ranging. Unlike heritage breeds where foraging substantially reduces feed costs and improves meat flavor, Broad Breasted Bronze rely on 95-100% commercial feed regardless of outdoor access. Any ranging is primarily for marketing appeal ("pasture raised") rather than meaningful nutritional contribution. Their meat flavor comes from genetics and age at processing rather than diet variation.

Grit is helpful if birds have any access to vegetation or whole grains, provided free-choice in appropriate size for turkeys. However, since they consume almost entirely commercial crumbles or pellets, grit is less critical than for heritage breeds eating whole grains and foraged materials. Fresh, clean water is absolutely critical and must be available at all times in substantial quantities. Broad Breasted Bronze drink enormous amounts—2-4 quarts or more daily depending on temperature—to support their metabolism and cool their bodies. Water deprivation causes rapid health decline and death. During hot weather, provide water in multiple locations, refresh frequently to keep it cool, and ensure constant availability.

Treats are generally unnecessary and potentially problematic, as these birds need carefully balanced nutrition for optimal growth. Excessive treats can unbalance nutrition and reduce commercial feed consumption needed for proper development. If treats are offered, limit strictly to less than 5% of diet and choose high-protein options like mealworms. Avoid corn and carbohydrate-heavy treats that can exacerbate obesity and cardiovascular stress.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys have significant inherent health challenges resulting directly from selective breeding for extreme body conformation and rapid growth. They suffer elevated mortality rates compared to heritage breeds, with 5-15% mortality being typical and higher rates common in poorly managed flocks or stressful conditions. Their extreme size stresses cardiovascular, skeletal, and respiratory systems, creating multiple health vulnerabilities. They cannot be kept beyond 24 weeks maximum without severe health deterioration, heart failure, and mortality becoming inevitable. These birds are designed for short-term meat production only, not longevity.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys' health challenges are inherent to their genetic makeup and cannot be fully prevented through management alone. Their extreme body type creates unavoidable stresses on cardiovascular, skeletal, and respiratory systems that ultimately limit their lifespan to a few months. Growers must accept elevated mortality rates, process birds at recommended young ages, and understand that these birds represent a compromise—maximum meat production in exchange for significant welfare concerns and health limitations. These challenges are identical to Broad Breasted White turkeys and inherent to all broad-breasted commercial varieties regardless of color.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys' extreme size creates significant handling challenges despite their docile temperament. Young poults handle similarly to heritage breeds, responding well to gentle interaction and hand-feeding. However, as they grow beyond 15-20 pounds, physical handling becomes difficult simply due to their mass and awkward body proportions. Their disproportionate weight distribution with extreme breast development makes them difficult to hold securely.

When catching is necessary, corner birds calmly in shelter rather than chasing, which can cause heart failure in these cardiovascularly-compromised birds. Grasp firmly with both hands supporting substantial weight while controlling wings. Some handlers use both arms to cradle extremely heavy toms exceeding 40 pounds, supporting breast weight while steadying the bird. Even calm birds may struggle if frightened, and dropping a heavy bird can cause serious leg injuries or death.

Health examinations should occur weekly, checking for leg problems (lameness, swelling, inability to stand), respiratory symptoms (coughing, nasal discharge, labored breathing), breast blisters (feeling for fluid-filled areas on keel), foot problems (checking pads for swelling or scabs), and heat stress symptoms during warm weather (panting, lethargy, wings spread). Early detection of problems allows intervention or humane euthanasia before suffering becomes severe.

Euthanasia may be necessary for birds with severe leg problems preventing standing, advanced bumblefoot unresponsive to treatment, or other conditions causing suffering. Humane methods include cervical dislocation for birds under 15-20 pounds or captive bolt/gunshot for heavier birds, following accepted guidelines. Many growers unfamiliar with euthanasia methods should consult veterinarians or experienced turkey producers before purchasing birds.

Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys are suitable only for growers specifically wanting maximum meat production in minimum time and willing to accept significant management challenges, welfare concerns, and elevated mortality rates. They're inappropriate for beginners, those seeking sustainable breeding flocks, anyone wanting long-term bird keeping, or those uncomfortable with the ethical implications of raising birds with inherent health problems. However, for experienced growers with appropriate facilities, realistic expectations, and markets for large traditional-colored turkeys, they provide excellent meat yields and customer appeal.

Before acquiring Broad Breasted Bronze, honestly assess whether heritage breeds better fit your goals. Heritage turkeys grow more slowly (24-30 weeks to processing weight), provide smaller but still substantial birds (12-20 pounds), can breed naturally, live healthy lives, and cost less to feed. If your priority is sustainable farming, natural breeding, or keeping turkeys long-term, choose heritage breeds. If your priority is maximum meat yield for Thanksgiving and holiday markets and you're prepared for intensive management, Broad Breasted Bronze may be appropriate.

Verify local regulations, as many areas prohibiting chickens also prohibit turkeys or have stricter regulations. Zoning, permit requirements, setback distances, and HOA rules all apply. Consider neighbors, though Broad Breasted Bronze gobble less than heritage breeds due to limited activity. Time commitments are significant: daily feeding, watering, health monitoring, climate management take 30-45 minutes for small flocks. Mortality management (disposing of dead birds) is necessary and can be emotionally difficult.

Financial considerations include poult costs ($6-12 each), feed costs ($40-70 per bird to processing), bedding, and processing costs ($25-40 per bird at custom facilities or time and equipment for home processing). Total costs run $75-125 per bird. Processed birds sell for $5-8 per pound, with 18-20 pound birds grossing $90-160, potentially profitable for direct marketers. However, hobby growers should not expect profit given small-scale economics.

Ethical considerations are significant. These birds suffer health problems inherent to their genetics, including heart failure, leg problems, and inability to engage in natural behaviors. Some consider raising them unethical regardless of care quality. Others believe providing good care during their short lives while producing quality food is acceptable. Carefully consider your values before committing to broad-breasted varieties.