Best turkey to get?

[antlers]

I raised Brurbons, Black spanish and Royal palms this year. Burbons grew best free range for me and I liked the flavor the best. My 2 cents.

 

[DaKid]

antlers
Today 9:03 pm I raised Brurbons, Black spanish and Royal palms this year. Burbons grew best free range for me and I liked the flavor the best. My 2 cents.

went you say free range mean no pen or fence in area RIGHT so how do you get them to stay on ur property and not fly off or take off

i have all wooded area where i live and where my turkeys are but there in a run /pen with a netting top , i would love to make the pen/run bigger but worry about them flying off and getting into the woods or over to my neigthbors yard and woods​

 

[sandspoultry]

If you want one to self reproduce you want a heritage turkey. We raise Midget White, White Holland, Beltsville White, Bourbon Red, White Holland, Royal Palm, and Standard Bronze.

The Midget Whites are the best tasting by far, Also the ALBC did a blind taste test this year and the Midget won hands down, a store bought butterball finished last.

Size wise from largest to smallest

Standard Bronze toms 35 pounds +
White Holland 30+
Bourbon Red 25+
Beltsville White 20
Midget. 20

The Belts and Midgets were actually developed as meat type turkeys. The Hollands were the base for the Broad Breasted types.

We wrote the article that was published in Countryside magazine about the White feathered turkey breeds for more information.

Steve in NC

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
Steve, what do you charge for your Thanksgiving heritage turkeys? And how small do you sell them at? I have some in the 7 lb range and am wondering how much people want at that size. (I have bigger ones too, but that's my smallest).

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
Steve, what do you charge for your Thanksgiving heritage turkeys? And how small do you sell them at? I have some in the 7 lb range and am wondering how much people want at that size. (I have bigger ones too, but that's my smallest).

We gave up on the Thanksgiving turkey "thing". It got to be such a pain as nobody wanted to place an order for a turkey in the spring when they hatch so we could plan on numbers and then they all came out ofthe woodwork a week before Thanksgiving. lol We were charging $5 a pound dressed weight. It really depends on your market some can get much more than that.

Steve in NC

 

[antlers]

Quote:
went you say free range mean no pen or fence in area RIGHT so how do you get them to stay on ur property and not fly off or take off

i have all wooded area where i live and where my turkeys are but there in a run /pen with a netting top , i would love to make the pen/run bigger but worry about them flying off and getting into the woods or over to my neigthbors yard and woods

Well see I also raise deer. That requires a woven wire fence 8 feet tall. I have about 8 acres fenced in so is it TRUE free range? No but they follow the deer all over and eat grass and bugs the deer kick up. 12 birds on 8 acres is about as free as you can get with outthe foxes gettign any. They are on grass from about 6 weeks on. With the grass, bugs and some corn they get form the deer feeder they wil not eat flock raiser . So they dont grow as fast but they sure taste good. I clip off the first wing joint when they are babies. No feathers there means no flying.

 

[DaKid]

antlers
Today 1:22 pm DaKid wrote:
antlers
Today 9:03 pm I raised Brurbons, Black spanish and Royal palms this year. Burbons grew best free range for me and I liked the flavor the best. My 2 cents.

went you say free range mean no pen or fence in area RIGHT so how do you get them to stay on ur property and not fly off or take off

i have all wooded area where i live and where my turkeys are but there in a run /pen with a netting top , i would love to make the pen/run bigger but worry about them flying off and getting into the woods or over to my neigthbors yard and woods

Well see I also raise deer. That requires a woven wire fence 8 feet tall. I have about 8 acres fenced in so is it TRUE free range? No but they follow the deer all over and eat grass and bugs the deer kick up. 12 birds on 8 acres is about as free as you can get with outthe foxes gettign any. They are on grass from about 6 weeks on. With the grass, bugs and some corn they get form the deer feeder they wil not eat flock raiser . So they dont grow as fast but they sure taste good. I clip off the first wing joint when they are babies. No feathers there means no flying.

thanks

guess it to late to clip the wings now there 8 months old
HAVE TO DO IT TO THE NEXT PATCH OF BABYS

at what age do you clip within the first few days old , will they bleed , and if so how to stop it


thanks
AL​

 

[smom1976]

Quote:
is that dressed or undressed..

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
is that dressed or undressed..

Live weight

 

[chickenannie]

Sandspoultry,
How old are the 25+ lb Bourbon Reds? I have a 2 year old tom close to that weight, but my 7 month olds are nowhere close to that (liveweight they are more like 17 lbs at the largest).
If those are young birds, what in the world are you feeding them?
Or do you sell older birds, and are they tender to eat?