Breed selection

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I am back on my turkey kick, reading up on breeds, I think I want to go with smaller birds, a heritage type breed, as opposed to the faster growing BBW or similar which are typically used for thanksgiving birds. These would be processed shortly before thanksgiving. Hoping for a 12lb average bird once processed. Any suggestions?

 

[elorraine52]

i would choose royal palm turks, nice heritage breed...not sure what the dressed out wt. would be tho

 

[R2elk]

I am back on my turkey kick, reading up on breeds, I think I want to go with smaller birds, a heritage type breed, as opposed to the faster growing BBW or similar which are typically used for thanksgiving birds. These would be processed shortly before thanksgiving. Hoping for a 12lb average bird once processed. Any suggestions?

FYI, all domestic turkeys are the breed Turkey.

You can learn a lot about the Heritage Varieties at Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys.

 

[R2elk]

i would choose royal palm turks, nice heritage variety...not sure what the dressed out wt. would be tho

My Royal Palm toms dressed out at 15 lbs. at one year old. They are unlikely to make a 12 lb. carcass by the time they are 6 months old.

Most of the larger heritage varieties can make a 12 lb. carcass at 6 months old for the toms.

None of the heritage variety turkey hens will come close to 10 lbs. dressed weight at 6 months old.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

My Royal Palm toms dressed out at 15 lbs. at one year old. They are unlikely to make a 12 lb. carcass by the time they are 6 months old.

Most of the larger heritage varieties can make a 12 lb. carcass at 6 months old for the toms.

None of the heritage variety turkey hens will come close to 10 lbs. dressed weight at 6 months old.

so a BBB goes pretty big, but processed at say 14? Week’s should get me near my goal?

 

[R2elk]

so a BBB goes pretty big, but processed at say 14 week’s should get me near my goal?

BBB hens might. Toms will be bigger.

When I raised BBs, I preferred BBWs because they yield a cleaner looking carcass.