Help a new potential Turkey guy?

[hfred218]

Hi All,

I am almost 16 and a sophomore in High School. I have shown pigs for years but this year I would like to take a Turkey to our small fair. I hope I am not too late to still get this accomplished. This is where I need some major help. Our show is on June 12th and I will most likely be the only Turkey showing or one of only a few participants. My county is very small. I have no idea how to raise a Turkey other than keeping them warm when they are young and making sure they have plenty of space when they are larger. I have been watching YouTube videos to get information so far. When I found this forum I figured it would be the best place to get information.

What type of Turkey's should I be looking for?

Are there any places you can recommend to get poults now in time for my show. I just recently was informed that I need to get them soon.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for helping a new guy out!

Hayden

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Welcome to BYC, Hayden! I'm afraid I can't answer your turkey related questions, hopefully someone more experienced in that department will be long shortly, but I wanted to say it is nice to have you joining us!

 

[hfred218]

Thank you so much for the welcome!

Hayden

 

[zephyricle]

In my sophomore year I showed a meat turkey at my county fair.
You should look into your school's FFA program and see if you can still get in.
If you want to show, it depends on what show you mean. Showing to sell (meat turkeys) which means you'll probably take part in the auction. Or showing your turkey for looks (this might take longer if you are willing to breed your own. If you want to search for show quality, you'll have to look into breeders to purchase good looking turks)

When you're looking at meat turkeys, most buyers prefer the white ones because when they are butchered and plucked, the bronze and other colors tend to leave an unflattering pigment in the skin where the feathers were.

For show turkeys, I'll suggest looking at the narrangansetts. They're my personal favorite and they're quite beautiful. They originate in america and can be uncommon in some states.

In both cases, the turkey should be full grown, Tom or hen.