Turkey Talk for 2014

[chicken pickin]

Any preference for White or Bronze Broad Breasted for a meat bird? I wanted to get one turkey for Thanksgiving for my family, who are very excited about the idea. My feed store currently has both WBB & BBB and I was wondering if there is any difference in the two colorations such as taste, weight , etc. I am not seeing any direct comparisons of the two. Thanks!

I prefer the BBW. The only real difference between the 2 is appearance once dressed out. The BBW leaves clean skin because they have white pin feathers, while the BBB leaves black staining in the skin due to the black pin feathers. The black staining does not affect taste, just looks.

 

[domestic girl]

My first time raising turkeys. I have 5 white ones. They were sharing a space with the meat birds and now that the meat birds are gone, I realize they hardly eat or drink anything. I am wondering if they don't like the feed. Possibly looking for a turkey feed recipe. and Wow, they do love watermelon! Anything else I should know?

 

[desertmarcy]

My Lavendar hen, & my RP Tom's babies have all hatched identical! Blue with yellow faces, which have turned into mottled blues. This last hatch I have one who hatched kid of blue, yellow, & brown!!! This one's wings r feathering out with stripes like my palms. The ONLY one like that out of like 30 poults I've hatched from them!!! He is the ONLY Tom I have, & they r penned, so nobody else could have gotten her. I'm so confused?!?!?

sonderah, do you have photos of your mature mottled blues you can post? I'd love to see how they look. I have lavenders and royal palms as well and it sounds like a fun cross for next year.

 

[TattooedMama]

I prefer the BBW. The only real difference between the 2 is appearance once dressed out. The BBW leaves clean skin because they have white pin feathers, while the BBB leaves black staining in the skin due to the black pin feathers. The black staining does not affect taste, just looks.

Thanks for the reply!! We just picked up two whites today. I have grown out pigs for butcher but never turkeys or chickens. Its a new kind of adventure and I'm excited for Thanksgiving already!!

ETA:: And thanks for the heads up on the staining of the skin. I had heard that the BBW were more desired due to a clean carcass but most sources simply describe it as an issue of difficulty of getting out all the pin feathers. I hadn't read anything about the skin actually retaining a black stain.

 

[winteree]

i know this may sound dumb but what does a feeding timeline look like for a turkey i know they need to be started on something like game starter but when do i stop feeding them that and what do i feed them next do they get layer feed like everyone else or do they need something for turkeys only? and can meat chickens be raised with the poults or it the protein too high for them?

 

[kalibus330]

My first time raising turkeys.  I have 5 white ones.  They were sharing a space with the meat birds and now that the meat birds are gone, I realize they hardly eat or drink anything.  I am wondering if they don't like the feed.  Possibly looking for a turkey feed recipe.  and Wow, they do love watermelon!  Anything else I should know?

Turkeys are born kinda dumb you have to teach them how to eat and drink how old are they of they are only a few days old you may still need to show them how to eat and drink

 

[chicken pickin]

See I personally don't find this to be true. I've never had to show my turkey poults how to eat or drink anymore than I would my chicks. I acutually find turkey's to be quite smart.

 

[sonderah]

sonderah, do you have photos of your mature mottled blues you can post? I'd love to see how they look. I have lavenders and royal palms as well and it sounds like a fun cross for next year.

I don't have any grown, but I do have 1 Juvie. I'll try to get pics later. He/she has been raised out there by my bs hen, so not too keen on humans getting close. Lol

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

My Narragansett turkey eggs are pipping!!!!!!

 

[TattooedMama]

My Narragansett turkey eggs are pipping!!!!!!

WOOHOO!!

I just set my very first turkey eggs (Narragansetts) yesterday and am very excited