Culling Toms

[cmobley]

Ok I think I have 3 toms and one hen either way I know for sure I have 2 toms. Ones gotta go what age should I cull him and is he gonna cook like a butterball or should I expect a more stringy gamey meat like a wild turkey. These are heritage breed not the meat turkeys.

 

[iwltfum]

How old? Sometimes brining and basting can save a tough bird that's just over the edge, but if its too old, it wont matter what you do, will always be tough.

 

[R2elk]

Ok I think I have 3 toms and one hen either way I know for sure I have 2 toms. Ones gotta go what age should I cull him and is he gonna cook like a butterball or should I expect a more stringy gamey meat like a wild turkey. These are heritage breed not the meat turkeys. View attachment 2747803

You can cull the tom whenever it is big enough to satisfy you. The neighbor that I would provide heritage turkeys with always used a baking bag. In my experience even a 3 year old home raised heritage tom can come out nice and tender depending on how it was raised, processed and cooked.

 

[Molpet]

I usually harvest jakes 6 months or later. I had a 4 yr tom get injured this spring and he cooked up tender. @rjohns39 has recipe for heritage. They take longer than a butterball.

 

[cmobley]

These guys are right at 3 months old. I'm guessing if I let em go a few more months they'll put on a little more meat. I wasn't sure if these guys were like the quail I use to raise at 5 weeks they were as big a they get. If these guys will gain a little more weight I'll let em get bigger.

 

[Molpet]

These guys are right at 3 months old. I'm guessing if I let em go a few more months they'll put on a little more meat. I wasn't sure if these guys were like the quail I use to raise at 5 weeks they were as big a they get. If these guys will gain a little more weight I'll let em get bigger.

BB meat turkey harvested 16 to 20 wks, heritage take longer. Heritage Turkeys grow their frame first and then put on meat

 

[Huntmaster]

At about 6 to 7 months my heritage birds are around 15 to 18 pounds depending on variety and make for a very nice roasting bird. April, May spring hatch just in time for thanksgiving. When cooked right I have never had a tough bird but oldest I have roasted was 3 1/2 years old. Actually a 1 to 1 1/2 year old seems to have more flavor than the younger birds in my opinion.

 

[Huntmaster]

is he gonna cook like a butterball

I don't think they are anything like a butterball. So much better in my opinion, much more flavor and not a mushy no flavor meat like butterball. More dark meat and less breast meat than butterball and take longer to get to roaster weight but I think well worth the wait. But do need to take care on roasting method, I never bring them to 185 degrees like they say you need to for store bought birds. I take mine out of oven at 155 to 160 tops. And there breast meat makes the best smoked turkey breast you can eat.

 

[Skipper7410]

My heritage turkeys I've always processed at sometime around 28 weeks or so. I almost always smoke them. Some times I deep-fry them. They always come out great! I will never buy a store bought turkey again haha...they taste like much compared to a good heritage or wild bird.

 

[cmobley]

I was wondering if the frying thing worked with em I love a deep fried bird