First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter

[cmfarm]

 

[ChooksChick]

You know, I LOVE you people!?

I haven't been on here in forever, and I took all sorts of pics of my turkeys today...and here you are, talking turkey.

I got ONE Bourbon Red from the hatchalong, and another from the next effort, and I bought 8 Royal Palms from a local dude. Lost 4 RP, as they weren't in great shape at that young age, and I think I've netted 2 pair. I think my BR are both hens. They look very different from one another, but came from 2 different breeders.

I'm glad you all are still chatting about yours, too!!

My first turkey EVER was the first BR hen, and she follows me all over the yard, BARKING at me!! What is that about? None of the others do that!

Turkeys are not big chickens. That was the first lesson. I've learned many others, too!!

 

[Arielle]

My favorites are 3 BR toms hached summer2011 and they glide around the farm, if people show up they immediately arrive to join in on the conversation. DH wants them to go in the freezer--they are pets.

I did sell one of the original 4, the four muskateers became three. Other brother went to neigboring town and gave the police an exciting day when he got loose and he roamed the town with police cars trying to herd him. I wish I could have seen that!!!

I now have 5 week poults from Porters: Auburns, 3 Narrigansetts and a few of another breed, name excapes me. And my last batches of BR. DH is now makeing a new coop to move them out of the house!! THey just snagged a banana and ate it all. TIme to go OUT.

 

[dsqard]

With a likely move coming up in the near future, I am eyeballing my two black spanish toms for an early Thanksgiving dinner. They are as big as the BR tom I hatched last year. I would suggest them as an excellent heritage breed to raise for eating if you are looking for something that grows a bit faster than the smaller heritage breeds but not as fast or big as the production turkeys. If I get the promotion I am expecting, I will have to get rid of all of my birds and I am not looking forwards to finding new homes for the turkeys since I was really looking forwards to keeping the two young hens I hatched this year (one BR and one blue slate) along with one of the black spanish toms for breeding next spring. I will begin again if we have to move and once we are settled in but it does sadden me.

 

[debs_flock]

The only turkey I got on the hatch was a Royal Palm and boy is she getting HUGE. She still lives with her silkie tutors. They are quite the funny group, huge white bird (with markings of course) and bantam fluff balls. She was quite originally named Turkey Lurkey!

Deb

 

[Arielle]

With a likely move coming up in the near future, I am eyeballing my two black spanish toms for an early Thanksgiving dinner. They are as big as the BR tom I hatched last year. I would suggest them as an excellent heritage breed to raise for eating if you are looking for something that grows a bit faster than the smaller heritage breeds but not as fast or big as the production turkeys. If I get the promotion I am expecting, I will have to get rid of all of my birds and I am not looking forwards to finding new homes for the turkeys since I was really looking forwards to keeping the two young hens I hatched this year (one BR and one blue slate) along with one of the black spanish toms for breeding next spring. I will begin again if we have to move and once we are settled in but it does sadden me.

Where did you get your black spanish from?

 

[dsqard]

Arielle, I got the eggs from the birdguy. I know Renee got some of his eggs as well.

 

[Arielle]

Thanks.

I'm trying to collect information on different varieties of turkeys; seems like the feature that separates each one is color. That is on the surface, But little else seems to be available. Or I just haven't found the right sources yet.

 

[dsqard]

Arielle, I am no expert but I can share what I have seen in the three different varieties I have so far. The Bourbon Red and Blue Slate are smaller and take longer to grow to full size. I think Tom (the BR I hatched last year) didn't really stop growing until he was around a year old. The BR is very good eating. We had them for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year. I think the tom we had at Thanksgiving dressed out around 12 pounds and the hen we had for Christmas was around 9 to 10 pounds. They were both hatched at Easter that year. I would guess that Tom would dress out around 15-18 pounds now at a year and a half. The black spanish grow much faster. I don't know how they taste yet but will let you know. They are not as big as the BBB or BBW but I didn't want birds that big. I like the smaller heritage breeds because I like seeing them running around the yard.

 

[Arielle]

Glad to have the input. I roasted the last of the the BBW raised last year, and at 22-36 depending on hen or tom, I rather enjoyed the novelty of the size. I have wondered about crossing a BBB or BBW hen to a heritage type. My BBW were so heavy that for the last couple weeks they only moved a few feet each day. I too enjoy the bids running like they are in a foot race---the younger birds do this! THe 1 year toms tend to waddle along like older gentlemen.