Life expectancy for BB bronze or whites?

Date sort Score sort
Kim65

Kim65

Songster
10 Years
May 29, 2009
625
20
131
Washington state
My lonely Narragensett poult got four new friends today, week or so old BB bronze and whites.

I don't plan on raising them for meat, just yard art and coolness of turkeys. My sister and BIL raise the mutant broiler chickens and I know they have a very short "life" due to their body weight outdoing their hearts.

Are the meat breed turkeys in a similar bind as a heritage breed? Should I adjust their feed as juvenile/early adults to prevent overgrowth?

They are from Ideal. They were at the feedstore and I couldn't help myself. They are already nearly as big as the Narragansett poult, and he is just over two weeks old.
 
If they lived around here, I imagine they probably wouldn't live past the 4th Thursday in November.
hide.gif
 
ROTFL!!
tongue.png
I tried to be a farmer but I just can't find it in myself to be a real one . . . the only thing that stuck is that I LOVE farm critters and miss my blue slate toms very much. They were such incredible goofballs.

I've heard they can get pretty darn big, and can't mate.
 
Good luck. My BB bronze boys were 50 lbs at 5 months and were still growing exponentially... literally, as measured weekly. By the time I butchered them they were stumbling to walk and spent 95% of their time sitting.
 
Wow
sad.png


Well if this is what I'm looking forward to . . . a 55 lb turkey who can barely walk, I'll grow them out and sell them for meat on craigslist or something. No need to prolong the inevitable. I'll stick to heritage breeds for my personal yard art flock.
 
My BBB boys made it to about 6 months before the legs went and we had to put them down. My female BBB hen lived 3 years, but with a lot of exercise to help keep her weight down. She was still a big ole butterball tho. Her legs gave out and she ended up having to be put down as well.
 
Oh this post just made me sad
sad.png
I have two white turkey's that I suppose are meat birds that I wanted as pets. What do I do to keep them from getting too fat? I am limiting their feed now as they are ravenous eaters.
 
Cashela,
I'm right there with you, waiting to read a response to your question. Our BBs are pets too, and I want them to stick around for a while.

Ours are on gamebird, but their feathers aren't all the way in yet under their wings.

P.
 

Similar threads

J
Picking up poults in less than 48 hours and I need advice (newbie!)
Replies
3
Views
320
R2elk
R2elk
orgainsect
    • Like
    • Love
Turkey Farming: The Integration of Tradition and Modernity
Replies
4
Views
1K
R2elk
R2elk
MrsWinterWheat
Turkey gender, processing, and breeder question
Replies
1
Views
1K
oldhenlikesdogs
oldhenlikesdogs
BarnyardChaos
Making plans to raise turkeys
2
Replies
12
Views
2K
BarnyardChaos
BarnyardChaos
johnsonfarm
    • Like
Pricing Live BB Turkeys
Replies
6
Views
1K
jmurno
jmurno

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom