Thanksgiving Turkey Processing

[debir1966]

Here is pics I took yesterday of our 5 BBW (at 12 weeks).









Excuse the purple tail feather - I am not sure if they are pecking or the chickens are pecking, but we have to keep their tails purple or they get pecked. Also, since they have been free-ranging they have turned from white to dusty grayish white LOL.

 

[booker81]

I need to process the three turkeys I hatched out in April. They are mutts, but the tom now is so big he no longer fits through the door to the coop (it's not a big opening), but he doesn't go in anyway it seems. He's also a pretty vicious thing - to men. He's attacked my husband a few times.

Maybe this weekend....

 

[Lexiluke]

I will be butchering five at Thanksgiving that are currently 16 weeks old. I have sold 3 to help with the cost of feed and will be keeping two for myself. The five that I will process are 2 BBB and 3 BBW. I also have 5 Bourbons that Iam hoping to breed next spring. They are 14 weeks old.

 

[debir1966]

Our turkeys sunning and napping - they made a turkey rainbow! LOL

 

[kuntrygirl]

Love all of the pics!

 

[debir1966]

How is everyones turkeys doing? Mine are growing! They are evening out more and you can't tell as much difference in sizes of 3 of them, though you can still tell the largest and the smallest.

I will try and get more pics soon, here is one of the "medium sized" after eating

 

[debir1966]

Our snow turkeys!

They were not sure of that white stuff on the ground at first and hesitated in the doorway for quite a while before one of them finally got brave enough to step in it LOL.





My son gives the turkeys treats alot, so they are always looking for a goodie from him.


The biggest of the turkeys.


Wasn't sure if I should let them out or not, but the wild turkeys didn't seem to mind so I decided to see if they would come out in it.

I am still hoping the biggest one will be big enough to process in 3-4 weeks - we would like him to be at least 15 pounds after processing! I wish I had a scale so we could weigh them as I have no idea how much they weigh right now.

 

[debir1966]

More pics to share




Showing off!


One of the toms peaking out of the chicken house.


Our son holding the friendliest female. We may keep her and see how it goes with her size and health.

18 weeks old today.

 

[kizanne]

I know this may sound strange but how tall is a turkey if you look at the tallest part? 3 feet? or taller. I have a pen that I raise chickens in but I made the top wire too short to stand in but plenty tall for chickens. Trying to see if that would be tall enough for turkey.

Also I have read mixed reviews. Are they noisey? When do they get noisey? is their noise louder than a rooster?

 

[debir1966]

I don't know exactly how tall our turkeys are - it really depends on the breed I think? The Broad-Breasted Whites we have are HUGE compaired to our older, regular turkey. I will try and get a pic of them side by side soon.

The BBW do not fly - but the regular turkey does. However, they could hop/jump pretty high when they were younger, not so much now at 18 weeks. They get stuck behind the horse fence all the time which is 4 foot tall livestock panels.

As for noise - we really enjoy hearing them, they really do not make alot of noise unless we are outside with them, or once and a while they will gobble. Mostly they chirp and it is not very loud. I hear the roosters crowing from inside the house way easier than the turkeys gobbling, so at least ours are not that noisy. They talk alot, just like a chicken, and it is a little louder than a chicken, but not loud as in distracting or annoying.

Hope that helps!