What breed?

[kylen2007]

Hello! I bought what I thought was bronze breasted turkey poults at my local feed store. 9 weeks in and their feathers are coming in awefully slow and they aren't very big. Could they be a different breed than advertised? They are on a high protein feed for meatbirds. Its the same feed I use for my cornish crosses. I just don't see how these guys will be big enough to process by 20 weeks.

 

[R2elk]

Hello! I bought what I thought was bronze breasted turkey poults at my local feed store. 9 weeks in and their feathers are coming in awfully slow and they aren't very big. Could they be a different breed than advertised? They are on a high protein feed for meatbirds. Its the same feed I use for my cornish crosses. I just don't see how these guys will be big enough to process by 20 weeks.

There is no such variety as Bronze Breasted. What are sold as meat turkeys are Broad Breasted Bronze. It doesn't look like a Broad Breasted Bronze and is likely a heritage variety. It just depends on how big a turkey you want as to whether or not it will be big enough to process at 20 weeks.

 

[kylen2007]

Haha that is exactly what I meant. Bronze broad breasted. Sorry. Should have spell checked before submitting. I would settle for anything over 20lbs. They one for my in laws only needs to be 15-18lbs. Those are dressed weights. Do they process out the same as chickens as far as weight? I do plan to keep a pair for breeding.

 

[R2elk]

Haha that is exactly what I meant. Bronze broad breasted. Sorry. Should have spell checked before submitting. I would settle for anything over 20lbs. They one for my in laws only needs to be 15-18lbs. Those are dressed weights. Do they process out the same as chickens as far as weight? I do plan to keep a pair for breeding.

The reason for saying there is no such variety as Bronze Breasted is because there are people who don't know any better and even from time to time you can find someone advertising Bronze Breasted turkey hatching eggs on eBay.

At 20 weeks you are not likely to get a 20 lb. dressed carcass from a heritage bronze. I think that percentage wise the heritage would process the same proportional weight as standard chickens. They won't process at the same percentage as Cornish-X chickens.

Good luck.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Looks like maybe a mix.

 

[kylen2007]

Alrighty then. Can you tell me what age I should be able to sex them?

 

[BantamFan4Life]

You should be able to sex them any time now