Burbon Red

[crealbilly]

Thankagiving is about turkey, we had our delicious burbon red tom. There are a lot of differences between a broad breasted and a burbon red and all the differences are Mmm Mmm good

 

[PeepersMama]

Yes there are. Glen Drowns (my poultry hero) tried to do an experiment to see if BBW were more econimical to raise than heratige bourbon reds, but so many BBW died due to broken bones, extreme temps, etc, that they couldn't even call it an experiement. I need to bug mom about raising our own turkeys for next year

 

[eviemethugh]

Yes there are. Glen Drowns (my poultry hero) tried to do an experiment to see if BBW were more econimical to raise than heratige bourbon reds, but so many BBW died due to broken bones, extreme temps, etc, that they couldn't even call it an experiement. I need to bug mom about raising our own turkeys for next year

That is silly. We bought 20 BBW this year, received one bonus. Bought during the hottest part of the year, had several freezes and a hurricane before butcher. Only lost one! Last year we lost zero.
And ours free range since 4 weeks, so they definitely experienced all of the weather!

Taste...is a whole other ball park. But they certainly aren't fragile birds.

 

[PeepersMama]

Drowns had to weighh them a bunch, and they'd try to jump off the scale I guess. They're way to fat to jump down too far.

 

[crealbilly]

Ive raise broard breasted 3 years in a row because thats all they had at the farm store, just two turkeys each year (Thanksgiving & Christmas). I switched to bourbon reds this year. I wont even consider going back to broad breasted again. The taste and texture of burbon reds is so much better and my experince is that burbon reds are easy keepers.

The only problem i had was i had to seperate two toms because they we getting way to agreesive towards each other for me. One tom about pulled the snood off the other tom and he also tore his tail feathers all up. But i think thats normal behavior between toms when hens are around.

Ive got 1 tom and 2 hens left - i hope they brood out some chicks come March. Again this will be new to me since broad breasted can't mate naturally.

 

[PeepersMama]

Ive raise broard breasted 3 years in a row because thats all they had at the farm store, just two turkeys each year (Thanksgiving & Christmas). I switched to bourbon reds this year. I wont even consider going back to broad breasted again. The taste and texture of burbon reds is so much better and my experince is that burbon reds are easy keepers.

The only problem i had was i had to seperate two toms because they we getting way to agreesive towards each other for me. One tom about pulled the snood off the other tom and he also tore his tail feathers all up. But i think thats normal behavior between toms when hens are around.

Ive got 1 tom and 2 hens left - i hope they brood out some chicks come March. Again this will be new to me since broad breasted can't mate naturally.

Yes, that's another bonus. Sustainabilty - just in case the world comes to an end

 

[crealbilly]

Well we all gotta go sometime