Advice please

[LRH97]

I need some advice/opinions. I am in no way new to raising turkeys. We usually raise about six BBB or BBW for our Thanksgiving birds. We did that every year up until about two years ago. I've had two heritage breed turkeys (a Bourbon Red tom and a Blue Slate hen) in with the chickens for about two years now, and I've fell in love with them. Now, I know the whole turkeys and chickens together thing is more or less a big debate, but with our good sanitary conditions and monthly wormings, everything has gone fantastically. Anyway, I am seriously thinking about starting a proper turkey coop consisting of trios of three or four breeds: Bourbon Red, Blue Slate, Narragansett, and maybe Royal Palm. In order to do this, I will need to eliminate my bantam flock (by eliminate, I mean sell). I asked my dad his opinion, to which he replied: "Do what you want." Lots of help he is! His passion is rare standard chickens and waterfowl and not much else. Anyway, if you were in my situation, what would you do? I hate making decisions. Can you tell? Any thoughts/comments are greatly appreciated!

 

[WalnutHill]

Bantams are cute, but of rather limited utility. Turkey poults are easily marketed if produced in excess of need. But try to stick with one variety, don't go crazy with all the choices and different breeding pens. Or just get two toms, 6 or 8 hens, and let them sort it out.

 

[LRH97]

Bantams are cute, but of rather limited utility. Turkey poults are easily marketed if produced in excess of need. But try to stick with one variety, don't go crazy with all the choices and different breeding pens. Or just get two toms, 6 or 8 hens, and let them sort it out.

Thanks for the response! I probably will keep it down to my BR tom and a Narragansett tom and decide which hens to get a little later. I definitely know what you mean when you say bantams are of limited utility. They're here pretty much just for fun and looks! Well and my Silkies make good little incubators too.

 

[WalnutHill]

If you are going for meat birds, the Bourbon Red and standard bronze hens tend to be a little bigger than most Narragansett hens (due to more popularity and better selection). A bronze hen mated to a Narragansett tom will produce Narragansett hens and bronze toms.

I like Bourbon Reds a lot but I don't like mixing them with anything else as it's next to impossible to get the red out of the line later. However, you can get some really pretty birds by crossing BR and Narragansett, or Narrgansett and BR.