: Big, Beautiful, Friendly - Sustainable meat bird
: Expensive and rare, Stout perches needed for heavy birds
I had about 8 of these birds this year. I ordered a "hatchery choice" and got mostly Royal Palms and a few of these to make up the price difference. The poults are nearly 10 dollars each... making this breed to fancy for my dinner table and losses are common with turkey babies as they "forget" to eat or drink. They must be reminded a few times a day or have a chicken chick in with them to show them how. (NOT one of a contrasting color - they WILL pick at it!)
They are a social and non-aggressive twords humans. Toms will obtain a pecking order with other Toms and fights aren't uncommon between them. I have never had an injury more than some good scratches or a picked tail.
I have never had a problem with this breed. I run them with my Red Burbons and think they are a comparable breed. Just different in color to me. Toms can get up to 30 pounds. I free range mine in a pasture with clipped wings. Hens can still scale the 4 foot fence but rarely go far from the herd. After 6 months the Toms start getting to heavy to attempt to fly. They can... but don't.
A beautiful bird to show or have as a pet. They are very curious and always want to know what I am doing. If I sit still they come for visits and peck about - but don't care to be touched. Toms drum and gobble close by.
I have only one hen who is "crabby" all the time. Pecks every chicken in the head it sees that gets close. The rest are very mellow.
*Cackle Hatchery quotes, "Narragansett Turkeys are considered a rare breed Turkey, a heritage Turkey and admitted into the American Standard of Perfection in 1874".
I am not by any means a professional poultry farmer. This is just my experience and I thought I would share. No one had left a review yet.