Turkenstein25's Turkey Talk for 2015

[nordicacres]

Just got our first turkey poults today! They are BB Bronze from Meyer. Eventually we'd like to get a few heritage breed turkeys so we can hatch our own eggs, but for now decided to go with meat birds. Any tips for me? TY!

 

[chickadoodles]

Just got our first turkey poults today! They are BB Bronze from Meyer. Eventually we'd like to get a few heritage breed turkeys so we can hatch our own eggs, but for now decided to go with meat birds. Any tips for me? TY!

Hello and welcome. BBB turkey are pretty fast growers usually they are full size about 5 months old. You can slow it down some by feeding the 27% gamebird feed the first two months then switch to 18%. I really enjoy my BBB hen and my toms last year were very nice.

 

[WalnutHill]

Don't get too attached! BBB are very sweet and friendly.

Remove anything they can trip over once they are about a month old.

Once most of them show no more interest in roosting or have difficulty roosting (if you have roosts), remove the roosts. Be sure there is a lot of soft bedding to avoid breast blisters and to help cushion their landings.

Prepare for a lot of wet poop. They aren't nearly as messy as Cornish x Rock broilers, but the amount of food and water consumed results in a lot of mess left behind.

There are a couple of theories on feeding. What is essential is high quality, high protein feed, carefully rationed to prevent too-fast growth.

Your birds will most likely be as big as you want them to grow by September. After that, they will grow into the 40+ pound range (for toms) unless you've carefully managed their feed.

 

[chickadoodles]

Oh I forgot to mention that last year when we processed our 2 Broad Breasted toms one would not fit in our oven. We had to have it cooked professionally in a huge smoker and the legs popped up and did not want to let the rack turn. Because we waited past the 5 month age.

 

[WalnutHill]

Oh I forgot to mention that last year when we processed our 2 Broad Breasted toms one would not fit in our oven. We had to have it cooked professionally in a huge smoker and the legs popped up and did not want to let the rack turn. Because we waited past the 5 month age.

Here was my 52 pound live weight BBB tom (my first, I didn't know any better, got him in May). I had to cook him in the broiler pan, and shielded the wings and drumsticks with foil for most of the roasting, and had to truss the wings to the body to keep them from burning on the oven sides.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: That is a huge turkey.
I did not know any better either as it was my first year with the BB turkey. I must have deleted the pics I saved of mine somehow when my other computer crashed.

 

[Virginia Turkey]

I have five three-week old bronze turkeys I want to give them turnip greens and spring onion tops as treats how much and how often is okay

 

[WalnutHill]

Skip the onions. Turnip tops should be fine.

http://readynutrition.com/resources/10-foods-you-should-not-feed-your-chickens_09022014/

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/php/plants.php?action=display&ispecies=poultry

 

[Virginia Turkey]

I have been chopping the onion tops up very fine and only feeding the five birds a gram (equivalent to two wild spring onions that come up in your yard that's what type of onions they are) at a time and they love them just want to make sure it's okay and not harmful

 

[WalnutHill]

Mine have eaten nominal amounts of onion and garlic with no harm, but I would avoid weeding/harvesting and feeding large quantities at once.