Anyone got information on bourbon turkeys?

[aaabirdman]

Hi,

I'm just curious about Bourbon Turkeys. So please answer some questions.

How long can Bourbon Turkeys live?
Are they good for a beginner?
How many poults can they have a year if kept confined?
Are they social and docile?
What are good starter turkeys?
Do they require a lot of land?
ALSO please post some pictures!!! I love birds!

 

[whenchickensdream]

I do not have Bourbon Reds but would like to get some. I have Blue Slates, Narragansets (sp), Black Spanish. What we have are fairly easy to raise and really like to forage. We did lose a few when we started raising them. We had gotten 15 and ended up with 7 or 8. We now have 14 and had butchered 5 a few months ago. Just hatched out 3 and have 15 more eggs ready to hatch on Sunday. I really enjoy the turkeys.

 

[frank53061]

I am almost the reverse of your situation I have 17 Red Bourbon Poults 6 weeks old and 8 Chics the same age raising them together.
Raising chickens for about 2 years.
If things go well with the Red Bourbon I would like to try some Narragansets to see how they are and there nature towards people.
Blue Slates I would also like to try at some point

 

[Snurfled]

I have Blue Slates, exclusively. Fourteen hens, and a Tom. Nine of the hens all hatched this year in April. All hens! The Tom is from last year's hatch.
Like the OP I am curious to know how long turkeys lives can be, without our interference. These are the most gentle birds... except in breeding season (roughly December until April) when the toms get a bit feisty. Oh and don't wear red around them, they get mightily agitated by that.
Mine are still laying, but anywhere but in the coop. They find the most inconvenient hiding places - in among brambles and stinging nettles.
One has been sitting on her eggs (I don't mind, as turkeys don't seem very successful at hatching eggs) for the last two and a half weeks, so just about 10-12 more days to prove me wrong!
I have Partridge Orpington hens and cockerels, and Black Copper Marans who are all a bit wary of the turks. At night the common roost can get a bit noisy as they all settle down.
Sorry. No pictures.

 

[jvls1942]

I had Royal Palm turkeys for many years.
Not a good sized bird for butchering, but are surprisingly pretty for being white with black trim.
very mild birds.
somewhere along the way I had a blue slate, and a Spanish something or other.
they were OK.
then I picked up a Bourbon Red Tom.
he was without doubt, the bird from hell.
I never had a meaner bird than him. in fact I never had a mean bird, period.
one day a stranger stopped in . he saw that pretty turkey, just wanted him in the worst way. I got $25.oo for it. and good riddance .. I am sure that not all bourbons are mean.. he just didn't like me, I guess.

just a note.
young turkeys do not have a very strong immune system until they are about 13 weeks old.
turkeys, especially the young ones should not be kept where chickens have ever been kept. chickens are carriers of Black Head which is fatal to turkeys.
My Royal palm adults lived in the chicken coop all winter with the chickens. so they must be able to build up an immunity to it.

just something to watch for.

........jiminwisc......

 

[R2elk]

chickens are carriers of Black Head which is fatal to turkeys.

The key here is chickens can be carriers of blackhead. If blackhead is not present in your area, the chickens will not be carriers of blackhead and will not pass it on to turkeys. Blackhead is not present everywhere but where it is present, your warning is correct. Blackhead is not present where I live and my chickens and turkeys get along fine minus a few little squabbles from time to time.

 

[jvls1942]

The key here is chickens can be carriers of blackhead. If blackhead is not present in your area, the chickens will not be carriers of blackhead and will not pass it on to turkeys. Blackhead is not present everywhere but where it is present, your warning is correct. Blackhead is not present where I live and my chickens and turkeys get along fine minus a few little squabbles from time to time.

OK, true, the key word is CAN.
But, you won't know until the turkeys start to die, so a bit of caution is advised.
I just wanted to point out the possibility of it.
from now on I will keep my 2 cents worth to myself. I am not looking for any argument.

 

[memphis]

One thought is to check with your local extension office to see if they are aware of blachead in your area. My turkeys & chickens co-exist just fine.
I understand heritage bred turkeys can live 8-10 years.

 

[PolarBerry]

I have 6 bourbon red poults and they're just now 3 weeks old. They are super curious, eat a lot, and way too dependent on me They cry and cry and cry (more like scream) when I leave until they hear my voice or pass out asleep.

They're very "in your face" trying to watch everything I do. The husband is counting down the weeks until they can move outside.

 

[memphis]

Turkey's bond strongly with humans. They can make GREAT pets.