Heritage & Exhibition Turkey Thread

[elizmartin]

I have raised broad breasted turkeys but now have switched to heritage, for multiple reasons. I am wintering a few bourbon reds and I love having them around, definitely my bird of choice. I read at the top of this thread about the top-notch breeders, Frank Reese, Danny Williamson Tim Turnland, and Duane Urch, but when I googled them to look for hatching eggs or chicks, I could only find ready to eat products. I know I can easily purchase chicks, but does anyone know where to go for quality breeding stock?
Thanks in advance!

Duane Urch was hard to find for me also....and his hatchery is a partnership with someone else i think????? Don't think he had a website. If you have the Poultry newspaper, think his phone number is in the judges section and has a poultry list he sends out........ Don't forget Porters Heritage Turkeys...Thats all they do, They will come up with Google.....Tom Walker ( Texas) raises midget Blackwing Bronze, [email protected] .

 

[elizmartin]

Googled Duane Urch, poultry and came up with.....

Standardbreedpoultry.com/breeder/Duane%20UrchUrch-Turnland%20poultry/190

it gives the contact information and a breed list.....

 

[Arielle]

Be sure to try local poultry clubs, too, ANd craigs list--that's how I found a long time Narrigansett breeder in RI.

 

[hobbychicken]

The thread has died. Anyway wanted to say I butchered one of my blue slate toms on Tuesday. He weighed 28 pounds at 8 months. His breast alone was 8.2. And tasted great a lot better than ones from the store.

 

[FlChickie]

I'm sorry if I'm asking a question that someone has answered, but I didn't read this whole thread. I'm looking for exhibition Bourbon Reds and was looking at Porters Hertiage Turkeys website, are they high quality or more of hatchery stock? No one seems to have good show birds in my area and I really want to get a trio that I can breed and show from. I hate ordering hatching eggs because the post office seems to just know when I'm getting eggs and they kill them. So I'd prefer to order poults.

 

[Farmerboy16]

I have ordered from porter's, and they have great high quality type! I am impressed with my turkeys that I got from them.

 

[FlChickie]

Awesome, now I just need to convince someone to go in on a order with me since I don't need that many to start. I'm sure they sell out quickly for the year. I told my husband that's all the I wanted as a Valentines gift.

 

[Arielle]

YEs they do sell out quickly. I have liked my birds from them so far. I'm not up on the SOP for all the ones I have . I do have BR but not from POrters. THey are not perfect and need some work, but you will find so few turkeys at the shows that it is worth bringing them and learning. I think this was what Jim was promoting.

For some reason, when my males get their tail feathers pulled out ( by the duck) the coloring changes: the once white feathers grow in red. WTH?

 

[Arielle]

Meant to say, glad to see this thread continues to creep along.

 

[mstarr]

YEs they do sell out quickly. I have liked my birds from them so far. I'm not up on the SOP for all the ones I have . I do have BR but not from POrters. THey are not perfect and need some work, but you will find so few turkeys at the shows that it is worth bringing them and learning. I think this was what Jim was promoting.

For some reason, when my males get their tail feathers pulled out ( by the duck) the coloring changes: the once white feathers grow in red. WTH?

What is it about BR jake tail feathers that are so attractive? My laying hens (chickens) peck the tail feathers of my poor BR jake to the point that sometimes his tail bleeds. I'm in the process of building a little barn so that I can separate them.