Can you not buy turkeys this time of year?

[dquarles74]

Every website I've visited says Sold Out for 2012. Anyone know where I can buy some this time of year or are they not like chickens and hatch year round? I'd love to have one in time to cook for Christmas but maybe I've waited too long. We are right at 20 weeks til then. Or will I just have to wait and order in spring?

 

[chicken pickin]

Im new to turkeys so someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Turkeys lay eggs roughly march-sept ish they breed in the spring so poults are usually hatched out may-july(maybe slightly earlier like april) Most places will probably be sold out until spring of 2013. Try craigslist if you havnt done so already people will still most likely have a few for sale though the older the poult the more money it will likely cost. Good luck in your search.

 

[Oregon Blues]

It's late in the year for almost any type of hatchlings. With the exception of a few breeds of chicken, laying has become erratic or nonexistent for the summer.

It's not a bad time to be looking for a half grown turkey to finish raising just like you want him raised. You can watch for turkeys on Craigslist or put a wanted ad here on BYC in the classified section down at the bottom of the forum.

If you want to raise a bird for Christmas, you will have to get your order in really early, because a lot of people want to buy them at just the right week to have them ready for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You will have to reserve early to get poults on those weeks.

You know that if you purchase from a hatchery, you will be required to purchase 15-20 of the poults?

If you would give a hint about your location, maybe someone in your state will know where there are young birds available.

 

[DeannaOR]

I have 4 turkey poults that I am selling right now. Mine would be 20 weeks end of October. My hen is still laying eggs...I'm not sure for how long though. The poults are Royal Palm/ Eastern Wild mix. The eggs are pure Royal Palm.

 

[dquarles74]

Quote: I'm in Lufkin, Texas…. east Texas, close to Louisiana...

 

[KrisH]

I believe you would want Broad Breasted varieties for them to be big enough for what you want (IMHO)

RobertH

 

[Celie]

In your area, turkeys start to lay in late February and continue until July or Augustish. If you want a heritage bird/ birds that you can breed naturally, you should do some looking now to see what breed would work best for you. Some breeds like the Royal Palms and Midget Whites are very small in size for turkeys, while Standard Bronze and Holland White are quite large. Others fall somewhere in between. If you just want to finish one off for a holiday meal, and don't want to buy the 15 that hatcheries require, call your local feed store and ask them when they will have some. They will, most likely be BBB or BBW, which are Hybrids(can't mate naturally to reproduce), but reach slaughter size in about 5 months, are built like sumo wrestlers, gain weight very fast and are cheap to buy from a feed store and you can buy just one or two. Heritage breeds take about 9 months to reach a good slaughter size, but can mate naturally. If you choose Holland White, I live in Louisiana and will have hatching eggs around March and Live poults by April.

 

[frank53061]

Every website I've visited says Sold Out for 2012. Anyone know where I can buy some this time of year or are they not like chickens and hatch year round? I'd love to have one in time to cook for Christmas but maybe I've waited too long. We are right at 20 weeks til then. Or will I just have to wait and order in spring?

As KRISH stated its about what kind of breed of Turkeys you want to raise the Double brested would grow fast and be ready to harvest in about half the time of a Heritege breed non double brested Turkey would take 8 to 10 months were as Double breasted would take half that time.
My turkeys are Red Bourbons I orderd the first of March and recived April the 3rd of this year.
I started my planing in the Fall last year.
At this time my Toms are around 20 pounds and Hens around 10 to 12 dpounds it will be Christmas before I start harvesting.
Good Luck in your Search.