Best age range to process heritage turkeys

[Hardemans]

Perhaps those of you who raise turkeys for meat can answer my questions. I have raised BBB birds for the tele and harvested about 5 1/2 months . Excellent size and taste. Now I have a flocks of mixed heritage birds of differing ages

When is the best time to harvest these birds? Do you pen them prior to harvest and fatten up. IF so, what do you feed them?

Thanks. I also have a similar post in the Meat Birds forum.

The Hardemans

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The book says 12-24 weeks. We have butchered at around 7 months up to 2 years. The carcass is lighter and has less meat when younger. It can depends on what size bird you want. I don't think that the heritage varieties will fatten up, they mostly get internal fat and are a bit greasy when fed fatty feeds.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

We've raised BB Bronze and butchered them at 6 months. I would butcher heritage turkeys at about 5-7 months or so, depending on how fat they are.