What to do with 4 Royal Palm Turkeys?

[Hummingbird Hollow]

So I purchased 4 poults from the feed store this spring, being told they were BBW. One was to be Thanksgiving dinner, one was to become turkey sausage and the other two were going to a friend who was paying for half of the cost and helping me with the butchering. It appears that instead I have 4 Royal Palm turkeys, according to the kind folks who looked at the photos I posted yesterday. I think I have 2 toms and 2 hens.

So what now? Should I eat them anyway? Would it make more sense to try to sell them? Keeping them and trying to raise some more next year only makes sense if I can actually eat the offspring. (and if I keep them, what kind of winter accomodations do I need to provide?)

I've been told that I got a bargain, but I was really hoping for a feast

 

[junkprospector]

i think i'd work on one of the toms and get him ready to butcher for thanksgiving, then leave the 1 tom and the 2 hens to see if you can get some offspring from them. I think that the hen will probably go broody after laying in the spring and incubate her own eggs. You'd need some type of a brooder for the chicks when hatched.

 

[Lagerdogger]

The answer really depends on what you want. You initially had no plans to breed turkeys. Do you really want to change your plans just because you got the wrong kind of turkey? There is less breast meat on Royal Palms, but they still taste good.

If you keep them for breeding, you can make a little money if you sell the poults. You cannot make any money selling them for food unless you live in an area where people are willing to pay $6/lb or more. (Mine cost $5.40/lb to raise, I sell them for $4.50/lb). Selling poults is hit or miss.

They don't need much for winter accomodation. Mine live outside in central Minnesota with no shelter except a few pine trees and a roost that is exposed on all four sides. They do fine.

Bottom line...if you bought turkeys to eat, you should probably eat them. If you decide you wannt to keep turkeys year round and breed them, you can get yourself set up ahead of time and get more turkeys...and get exactly what you want.

 

[hdmax]

So I purchased 4 poults from the feed store this spring, being told they were BBW. One was to be Thanksgiving dinner, one was to become turkey sausage and the other two were going to a friend who was paying for half of the cost and helping me with the butchering. It appears that instead I have 4 Royal Palm turkeys, according to the kind folks who looked at the photos I posted yesterday. I think I have 2 toms and 2 hens.

So what now? Should I eat them anyway? Would it make more sense to try to sell them? Keeping them and trying to raise some more next year only makes sense if I can actually eat the offspring. (and if I keep them, what kind of winter accomodations do I need to provide?)

I've been told that I got a bargain, but I was really hoping for a feast

The picture does indeed show one each Tom, Hen Royal Palm, the problem with keeping them to breed to breed, there is a decent chance they are brother/sister, so not the best choice to breed.
I would eat sell all, but one, then try and find another Royal Palm to mate.
On a positive note, the RP turkeys are a lot better for Thanksgiving dinner then the BB turkeys could ever be. Just a thought!

 

[Celie]

I have never raised RPs, so I have no personal knowledge, but customers buying my Holland Whites, that have raised them, told me they are really pretty eye candy, but were tough stringy birds, pretty much like wild turkeys! Will someone who raised RP and other heritage breeds comment on the types they raised and compare taste ? The answer might help Hummingbird Hollow make a more informed decision !?

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have never raised RPs, so I have no personal knowledge, but customers buying my Holland Whites, that have raised them, told me they are really pretty eye candy, but were tough stringy birds, pretty much like wild turkeys! Will someone who raised RP and other heritage breeds comment on the types they raised and compare taste ? The answer might help Hummingbird Hollow make a more informed decision !?

As a followup, we butchered all 4 Royal Palm turkeys. Two went to a friend and thte other two into our freezer. We just had the tom for Christmas dinner. I was anxious about it, hoping it would be worth eating. I must say that it was by far the tastiest turkey I've ever had! Even my daughter, who doesn't have much use for turkey commented on how tasty it was. Even my HUSBAND, who isn't too keen about me raising turkeys and chickens commented with a sigh that it was the best turkey he ever ate. The breast meat was as tender and juicy and flavorful as dark meat usually is. The tom was only 12 pounds butchered weight. We have now defrosted the hen and smoked her to serve at our New Years Day open house tomorow.

 

[sebastopol]

Poor guys.

 

[pv74]

I've been told that with heritage turkeys it doesn't matter if they are 3 or 4 years old, the meat is still just as good.
Never put that theory to the test though as this is the first season I've raised turkeys.
I did have one sweetgrass tom for Chirstmas (about 8 months old) and he was very tasty.

So far, the turkeys I have are doing just fine with the cold weather....they have just a bit of cover and a roost...
When it was -6, it didn't seem to bother them. (was told by several people not to worry about shelter/warmth).

I was warned that if I raised the standard broad breasted varieties that I would have to slaughter them before the winter.
Supposedly, they get too big to fit into the oven and there legs may break from too much weight.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I'm just finishing cleaning up after our New Years Day open house. The Honey Baked Ham we purchased was only about 1/4 eaten but my smoked Royal Palm hen turkey was picked pretty much to the bone. Yumm!