How many females per tom

[marvun22]

I'm thinking about getting 15 turkeys to be just pets. I don't want to know how many I need so that all eggs are fertile. I just want to know how many to get so I don't get overbreeding. And does anyone know where to get sexed turkeys. I like Porter's selection, but I don't think they sex theirs.

 

[Celie]

Hatcheries don't sex turkeys. Everyone would order hens and only 1 tom and hatcheries would be stuck with hundreds of toms! It is extremely difficult to sex turkeys at hatching. You only need 1 tom but another one as a backup is a good idea. Raise the rest for meat for your family!

 

[marvun22]

Hatcheries don't sex turkeys. Everyone would order hens and only 1 tom and hatcheries would be stuck with hundreds of toms! It is extremely difficult to sex turkeys at hatching. You only need 1 tom but another one as a backup is a good idea. Raise the rest for meat for your family!

Okay, That is probably what I'll end up doing. So if I order 15 straight run turkeys, I keep the females and 2 toms is what you're saying?

 

[Celie]

That is what I would do, And grow out the rest of the toms for food! Heritage turkey taste great!

 

[Celie]

If I wanted them just as pets, I would never buy 15, I would look in CL for a local breeder and just buy one or 2. Remember chicken math? Same math applies to turkeys! First do your homework to make sure you get the breed that suits you best! If you can't find a breeder, put in an ad for turkey wanted and breeders will find you, or buy eggs if you have excess to an incubator and hatch a few.

 

[marvun22]

Well I said 15 because that is porter's minimum order and they have the varieties I want.

 

[barra060]

If you are willing to wait till next year, then I'd go to Porter's. But if you want them this year, there are only a few places left, and the selection isn't the greatest compared to Porter's. I've heard that many online hatcheries are third party anyway and order them from somewhere in the southwest (Arizona to Texas). You can order less from Stromberg's, and they include the shipping in the price. I would order more than less if shipped, as that way they will stay warm for the 1-2 day trip to the post office. I think the ratio is 3 or 4 hens per tom. I ordered 15 of the mixed breed from Stromberg's to get the discount on a Monday and by Friday I had them. 16 came, one died so far, and they sent three types. They appear to be Bourbon Red, Standard Bronze, and Royal Palm.

 

[marvun22]

If you are willing to wait till next year, then I'd go to Porter's. But if you want them this year, there are only a few places left, and the selection isn't the greatest compared to Porter's. I've heard that many online hatcheries are third party anyway and order them from somewhere in the southwest (Arizona to Texas). You can order less from Stromberg's, and they include the shipping in the price. I would order more than less if shipped, as that way they will stay warm for the 1-2 day trip to the post office. I think the ratio is 3 or 4 hens per tom. I ordered 15 of the mixed breed from Stromberg's to get the discount on a Monday and by Friday I had them. 16 came, one died so far, and they sent three types. They appear to be Bourbon Red, Standard Bronze, and Royal Palm.

Umm, try 6-10 years. I could get them in Porter's hatching season.

 

[barra060]

You're patient. I started late in the season with this interest and the buzz hasn't worn off so I have to have them now!

 

[marvun22]

You're patient. I started late in the season with this interest and the buzz hasn't worn off so I have to have them now!

I'm not patient. But here's the situation. In 6-10 years, I'm getting a whole boatload of poultry. This many to be exact: 55 chickens, 48 ducks, 16 geese, 15 turkeys, 15 guinea fowl, 15 pheasants, 5 peafowl, 2 swans, and 2 emus. If you could guess, that's pretty darn expensive. It is approximately $5773.43. Just for the birds. That is not even counting the expenses of making my poultry barn (Which will include 1 chicken coop, 1 duck pen (Which my gray african geese will stay with), 1 Muscovy duck pen, 2 Canada Geese pens, 1 Buff African Goose Pen, 1 American Buff Goose Pen, 1 American Blue Geese pen, 1 Sebastopol Geese pen, 1 Giant Dewlap Toulouse pen, about 7 turkey pens, 7 guinea pens, around 2-3 Peafowl pens, around 7 pheasant pens, 1 swan area (still researching how to make that), and 1 emu pen and free ranging area. My Emu will have an area in my barn apart from everybody else and they will have their own fenced in free range area. Everybody else will just be able to free range with no boundaries. And to throw this in with the prices, 4 of the birds (the Emu and Swan pair) are a combined $3579.99