how long does it take to raise full grown turkeys

[Huny]

So should we be getting our thanksgiving turkeys right now, or in a month?

 

[pdpatch]

Generally speaking for turkeys you butcher Great White and BB bronze at around 20 Weeks. Most other Heritage type you butcher at 30 weeks. This is plus or minus about 2 weeks. Generally 30% of the live weight is lost during the initial processng.

This is usually based on the best feed to weight ratio. in this range they usually have the optimum natural moisture content. But these are simple guide lines. Depending on your resting, and pre cooking methods you can keep them for a year or more and still have a moist tender turkey.

For the most part most growth slows down at around 9 to 10 months, So longer then this is just wasting feed.

 

[dadof4]

What about wild turkeys? How long for them?

 

[pdpatch]

Wild turkeys fall into the heritage type of turkey as far as when to butcher, if they are domesticated.

In some states it requires a special permit to raisie "Wild turkey breeds"

Technically Wild turkeys are a sub species of turkeys in North America.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Meleagrididae
Genus: Meleagris
Species: M. gallopavo

There are 6 wild sub-species for the Wild turkey.

Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)
Osceola or Florida (M. g. osceola)
Rio Grande (M. g. intermedia)
Merriam's (M. g. merriami)
Gould's (M. g. mexicana)
South Mexican (M. g. gallopavo)

Breed and sub species terms are used inter changably by most people.

Tom

 

[meturkey]

This will also be my first year. I have had great success raising chi in the roving chicken tractor and was thinking of doing the same with a modified enlarged and enclosed roving pen. My questions: 1) Does this sound like a good idea? (We have coyotes); 2) Can I brood the baby turkeys with baby chx?; 3) How do you grab them for harvest?