The phenotype of the native turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) from the backyard of Guatemala

Abstract

The importance of the following study is to describe the native Guatemalan turkey optically, evidencing its external characteristics as part of its breed standard, and to demonstrate that an ecotype exists. The objective of the study was to describe the phaneroptic and morphological characteristics of the native turkey in three regions of the country where there is the largest number of turkeys registered and to establish these morphological differences between females and males. The municipalities of Guatemala (seven) established for sampling were Sayaxché, Jocotán, Joyabaj, San Pedro Carchá, Jalapa, Huehuetenango and Momostenango. The phaneroptic characteristics of the native turkey studied were presented in frequency tables and were the colors of the skin, metatarsal and caruncles or coral of the face and neck; presence of a net on the beak, tuft in males on the pectoral; the colors of the feather (on the back, abdomen, tail, leg and head) and the color of the eggshell. In conclusion, a turkey is described as preponderantly feather color being black, depigmented beak, pinkish metatarsal, and the color of the eggshell bone-white stained with coffee. Now, as part of its dimorphism, the male’s coral has a bluish-pink color and the female pinkish.