How long until dinner table?

[BracyGold]

I apologize if ths question has been asked frequently. And the title of the post seems insensitive. However, I have scrolled through several of the 270 pages of posts (read about a dozen along the way) and found nothing along these lines. I also noticed that so many titles did not mention the topic. I wanted to get the question out there so I could get as many educated responses as possible.
Anyway, on to my question. I am getting my day old turkey poults this week. Heritage breeds, Bourbon Reds and Royal Palms. How long until they could be fixed for dinner? I recognize that they take longer to mature than other breeds. I believe I missed the possibility of a Thanksgiving Turkey with this group. Is that true? If so, would waiting for next year be too long for a delicious bird? I believe I missed the mark completely. What do you say, my turkey mentors?

 

[Pugsabi]

I found a thread that I believe answers your question, since I have no personal experience. It seems that the breeds you've selected will be too young for Thanksgiving this year but you can harvest them next year.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-age-to-butcher-turkeys.419535/

 

[TurkeyTimes]

Yes heritage varieties take about 7-8months to reach a good butcher weight. I hold birds from late march and early april for Thanksgiving table birds. Any longer than 8 months and the feed to weight gain conversion drastically drops. So it depends on how much your willing to feed them after 8 months for minor weight gain.

 

[BracyGold]

Thanks for the information! I appreciate the supportive comments.

 

[muddy75]

this is my first experience with poults....they are now around the 3 weeks old. contrary to all the literature, we have already been giving them “yard” time with my chickens since they started escaping from the brooding box. today they spent about 12 hours in the run and then we put them back in the inside area just before dark. we are monitoring their size as we do not want more than 12lb turkey in the freezer. as you can see they grow fast!

 

[Noellereagan]

View attachment 1518533 View attachment 1518534 View attachment 1518533 this is my first experience with poults....they are now around the 3 weeks old. contrary to all the literature, we have already been giving them “yard” time with my chickens since they started escaping from the brooding box. today they spent about 12 hours in the run and then we put them back in the inside area just before dark. we are monitoring their size as we do not want more than 12lb turkey in the freezer. as you can see they grow fast!

That’s a bad idea. Not sure if you have blackhead in your soil but as I understand they’re very susceptible to this at a young age.
Also, don’t rule out keeping them. I’m no animals rights activist but I am here to warn you- it’s very easy for humans to get attached to poults and vice versa. Ergo my pets

 

[mandelyn]

We also hold back March/April poults for Thanksgiving, we have Bourbon Reds and Narragansett. Had a spare tom that was an oops Black Mottled in with shipped Bourbon eggs, he was 16 months when he came to dinner. We bought a meat grinder and did it that way, since the meat we buy most at the store is ground Turkey. I was amazed at the difference in color between store bought and fresh.

For a whole bird I use the Charbroil "oil-less" turkey fryer that's propane fired. You coat the inside of the fryer and the outside of the bird with oil and it's done in about 70 minutes.

It is VERY easy to make friends with them though. This year I had a poult who insisted upon human companionship, so I paired him with a nice hen and found them a pet home. He would come running up to me for pets or a hug. I'm not hands on with them and usually hatch chickens with them so that the chickens can teach them how to eat/drink instead of them imprinting on me. Not sure why that particular turkey decided to be so friendly, but it worked out for him!

If you process prior to 6/7 months, they may have some size but not much and will likely be full of pin feathers. It's important for ease of plucking to catch them when they're not in active feather growth.

 

[Jeffrey Foster]

I butchered a 10 month old Narragansett Tom for Easter this year. He had plenty fat on the breast and tasted amazing after smoking for 8 hours. Never weighted him, but I would guess in the 18-20lb range. Keep in mind they will grown slower as the cold weather set in.