Breeding turkeys?

[MarineCorpFarmr]

We are going to expand and add some narragansetts and more bourbons in the spring. Ive got a bbb tom (thanksgiving dinner this year) a bronze tom, 4 bronze hens, 1 bbb hen, a blue slate tom a young royal palm and a bourbon hen

 

[Celie]

We are going to expand and add some narragansetts and more bourbons in the spring. Ive got a bbb tom (thanksgiving dinner this year) a bronze tom, 4 bronze hens, 1 bbb hen, a blue slate tom a young royal palm and a bourbon hen

What are you finishing your BBB on for thanksgiving? Does the type of feed used make any difference in the taste of the meat?

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Im still pretty new to the turkeys, they get to freerange + the feed we get ground up at the store

 

[emptynesterMom]

I agree you should look at heritage turkeys and find a color or two that you like. You can breed true or mix colors. For example, crossing Standard Bronze with Bourbon Red produces Red Bronze. If you play with Narragansett genes, you can get some sex-linked colors. A Royal Palm tom crossed with a Bourbon Red hen gives Red Bronze toms and Golden Narragansett hens (both with recessive hidden genes).

Go to Porters, read about genes, and come see some of my birds. I might not be too far away!

Lagerdogger,

Thank you for answering my unasked question. I have a bourbon red hen who apparently took a walk on the wild side early last spring. I have a beautiful teenage hen with the colors of, what I now know is, a Red Bronze. Shoot, I wish they bred true to the same color - she really is lovely. Oh well, two lessons learned: 1 - genetics of the Red Bronze color, 2 - put them in the breeding pens earlier.

 

[Arielle]

Where there is a will there is a way. Sounds rather pretty--the red bronze.

 

[LoneWolfForest]

I would go with the Bronze. You can read my blog on my experiences so far. My bronze hatched out 8 this year and now they are all 6 weeks old and doing very well. She is an excellent mama.http://www.LoneWolfForest.com/raising-heritage-turkeys.html

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Yes bronze is a good overall bird, taste wise imo bourbon red wins hands down.

 

[sandspoultry]

I like the standard bronze myself for the size and temperament of them but they don't do very well sitting on eggs. The hens are so heavy they break alot of eggs. Taste wise we have always liked the Bourbon Red or Midget White, I think the Midget is just a little bit better taste wise. Over the years we have raised quite a few of the heritage varieties, Blue Slate, Royal Palm, White Holland, Beltsville White, Midget White, Bourbon Red, Standard Bronze unfortunately due to feed prices we have downsized quite a bit and now we only have the Bronze and Midget White.

 

[Cheeky Chick]

So, if my little Spanish Black and My little Chocolate turn out to be a boy and a girl...I'd have "Dark Chocolate" If I bred them?

I think I like that very much!