Getting into turkeys, but which color?????

[Outbackhill Kennels]

I have been pondering getting some turkey poults and trying my hand at raising then hopefully breeding turkeys. I am thinking between four colors, the Slate Blues, Spanish Blacks, Bourbon Reds and Royal Palms. I was wondering what your experiences are with them? Are they all around the same level of difficulty. I know that the palms are a smaller turkey by the standard which makes me lean towards the other bigger breeds. Are any of them very broody? And does anybody have any good links or books they could refer to for genetic information?

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

The Royal palms tend to wander off alot.

 

[turkey guru]

my bourbon reds are smaller than the royal palms, kind of like picking out a pup cause of color, what ever color you choose won't make a better dog!! except at night a bear can see a white dog easyer than a dark one, but heck so can I tom!!

 

[MandyH]

We raise both the Blue Slates and Sweetgrass turkeys. Our slates free range and they don't wander off, they being with each other in one big lump. They are very personable and the hens will go broody if you don't gather the eggs in 2 days. I love my turkeys to death.

 

[Outbackhill Kennels]

Quote:
From what I have read the bourbon reds are suppose to be substantially bigger than the palms. Thats why I want the bigger breeds for a bigger table bird and I do like big birds.

 

[turkey guru]

from what I read and what I have (5 bourbon reds)( 7 royal palms) bourbon reds are the 2nd smallest breed of heritage turkey ! miget whites smallest of all! lots of stuff I read all says different! but here on this farm out of 7 breeds of domestic turkeys bourbon reds are the small bird about 2 lbs less in weight! tom!!

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
From what I have read the bourbon reds are suppose to be substantially bigger than the palms. Thats why I want the bigger breeds for a bigger table bird and I do like big birds.

You are correct, BR's should be quite a bit bigger than Palms. If you have a copy of the APA standard the weights are listed. Our bourbons are very curious and calm birds, the palms tend to go broody more. The biggest thing with the palms as meat birds is they were never really bred for that purpose so you will find them lacking the deep full breast that a bourbon has. Here our favorite table bird if the midget white followed by bourbon red.

Size wise the heritage turkeys are from largest to smallest

Largest - mature toms 30 pounds plus

Standard Bronze
White Holland

Mid sized - mature toms mid to upper 20's

Bourbon Red
Black
Slates
Royal Palm
Narrigansett


Smallest -mature toms right at 20 pounds

Beltsville Small White
Midget White

Sharon

 

[Outbackhill Kennels]

My APA standard of perfection says 33 for toms 18 for hens for bourbons, blacks and slates. It says 22 for toms and 12 for hens in the royal palms. This is also what many sites I have read say.

 

[turkey guru]

well then raise them yourself, see if what I say is true! I read about turkeys all the time everything I get my hands on, tons of information that just not true from my experience from raising poults, I have read many books that show the wrong bird or the wrong weight or how many farms I have gone to, to buy birds and they are calling them wrong! thats not a black spainsh its a chocolate ect!!! so if you don't want to believe me, then do it yourself! my narragansett, royal palm blacks, blues,chocolates are all 2/3 lbs heavier than my bourbon reds! then the belstvilles then the wild easterns some people read then know everything, then others learn by doing it! got chores to do later!! tom!!

 

[The Chicken People]

I have seven bourbon reds in the bator right now! Is there any specific info different on raising chickens than raising turkeys?