Bronze heritage turkey or BBB?

[boxermom]

Moetrout, we have found that plucking is very easy with the turks. I heat the water in the canner and stockpot then pour it into a plastic tub that is big enough for the turk. I also add a little drop of dish soap. We dip the turk until the wing feathers pull out, hang it up over a garbage can then pluck. We actually think plucking a turk is easier than a chicken. Not sure why, but our hands don't seem to get as tired. Probably the most difficult part for me is making sure I get all the crop. I really have a difficult time getting it out. We have processed about 7 turks now since we started a year and a half ago. It is getting much easier. We did 2 toms a couple of weeks ago and from start to finish including clean up took us 1 1/2 hr. Not speedy, but getting a lot easier and more efficient.

 

[moetrout]

Well....I did my first turkey ever last night. Plucking was a breeze, but I have to say I'd rather gut a deer before doing another turkey. He was HUGE!!! My twelve year old son could not pick it up after the bird was processed. I wish I had a scale. My best guess would be that he was around 50 lbs. I could not pick it up with one hand, it was 2 hands and really heavy. I had to part it out because it was too big for our freezer. I split the breast in two and one side of the breast would not fit in a gallon size zip lock bag. We had to use 2.5 gallon bags! I have never in my life seen any t-day turkey this big. I definitely think this was a broad breasted variety and not a heritage like we were told. Anyway the deed is done and it's a big relief. He couldn't walk so there really was no choice. On the upside though no more dog sized piles to step in anymore and as consolation to my kids they each get to pick out 2 chicks this spring.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

We skin and cut up most of our turkeys, whole birds are for special meals. There is just the two of us so a whole turkey takes days to eat. Plus a whole bird takes way to much space in the freezer.

Steve

 

[SED]

Quick questin Steve, do you gut them? Or do you just skin them and cut away what you need? Thanks!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
I gut them just enough the get the heart, liver & gizzard, we use that for sausage. The leg 1/4's we either use for sausage or debone the thighs and cook them like that and the legs, wings we put in the pressure cooker, 15 pounds for 15 minutes and use that meat for taco's etc. The breast fillets you can do just about anything with.

Steve

 

[clucklandbrenda]

Take a household scale out to the coop. Stand on it, weigh yourself than pickup your turkey. The difference is HIS weight.

 

[clucklandbrenda]

I must say you guys that all this turkey talk has really proven to be very informative. We too are new to the turkey biz. We've had chickens for a few years now. Have hatched out many of our own birds in our 2 smaller styrofoam incubators. (We've learned how to vaccinate them ourselves as well. Not fun.) This summer my husband got an incredible deal on a MASSIVE incubator so we decided to get ahold of some turkey eggs and give them a try. We got BB and some heritage RIDLEY eggs as well. (We got 30 to hatch. About 1/3 of what we had for eggs.) They are getting quite big now and we are going to butcher a few BB'd for Christmas. I am planning to keep three Ridley tom's and several hens for breeding purposes.
My question now is, does anyone know when I can expect the girls to start laying? I was thinking (hoping!) this Spring??
Thank you all.

 

[frank53061]

I am on my first year with Bourbon reds and my Turkeys are over 7 months now and no eggs yet and since it is fall and turkeys for the most part are seasonal layers I don't expect any till Spring of next year.
There are others here that have stated that they have diff rent breeds at a younger age are laying.
Like I said I have Bourbon Reds I don't know if there is any difference with the Bronze turkeys in there age of when they start laying.
I just looked it up because I have never heard of a [FONT=century gothic, Arial, Helvetica]Canadian Heritage breed of Ridley[/FONT].
I found a picture of one looks to me smiler to a Narraganset.
Looks to have copper coloring as well.