Beltsville small white

noun

1. a small domestic turkey developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fit small ovens when being cooked.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Beltsville small white¹

First recorded in 1965–70; after Beltsville, Md., location of a Department of Agriculture research station where the bird was developed

Example Sentences

They’ve been bred to grow to slaughtering size by as little as 14 weeks, whereas heritage birds – which include the White Holland, Beltsville Small White and Bourbon Red – are killed at 26-28 weeks.

From The Guardian

Although the work of the Livestock Conservancy and others has replenished the heritage population, the Beltsville Small White remains vulnerable, Walker said, and remains in the conservancy’s “critical” range of conservation.

From The Guardian

The fowl included Beltsville Small White turkeys, one of the rarest heritage varieties that Gauthier and a national conservation group are on a mission to save.

From Reuters

The Livestock Conservancy started a recovery program this year for the Beltsville Small White, using eggs and adult breeder birds donated by a research lab with one of the variety's few remaining purebred flocks.

From Reuters