I did my 5 broadbreasted bronze yesterday.

[Denninmi]

I know I could have let them go far longer to get bigger, BUT, every time I go to the feed store, it seems like it's gone up another dollar a bag -- what was $14 just last year at Christmastime was $18 last week.

So, I did them yesterday. They were hatched the 2nd week in June, so are about 10 weeks old now. Dressed out to about 8-9 lbs, I'm guessing -- I base this on a 9lb bird I got last year at New Years from the grocery store -- smallest commercial turkey I think I've ever seen, and these are about the same size. I should have weighed them, but by the time I got done with everything and had them ready for the freezer, it was almost midnight, too tired for one last step.

VERY nice looking meat, and we're having one tonight for dinner.

The thing that impressed me the most were the livers. I love liver, and these were just massive compared to what comes out of a commercial bird, which is apparently half a liver at best. With 5 of them, I have enough to make a meal for myself and the dog just from these -- I just harvested my onions for the year -- yum, sweet onions and liver.

All in all, happy with this project. I guess I'm more worried about quality of food than quantity anyway, so doing them small and young doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[Randy]

I like to fry up a young one every now and then. Some good eating there.

 

[Arielle]

I just harvested my onions for the year -- yum, sweet onions and liver.

YUMMY--love liver and onions, haven't had it for years. THanks for the reminder!​

 

[Unclebean]

Did you hand pluck them?

 

[ColbyNTX]

I agree, feed prices are through the roof! I think the government needs to get out of the corn business and we need to get these fule prices down to earth. I am luck to have a feed mill near by so I don't have to pay the extra charge to ship it across the state. I get the 28% feed for $15.10 a bag and feed that until they are 12 weeks old. Then I switch them to a 20% layer for $12.08/ bag. Still high but better than $18.00! The mill is Lone Star in Nacogdoches, Texas in case somebody reading this is near by and needs cheaper feed.

 

[Gmsg01]

Fossil fuels are a finite resource. Economic laws of supply and demand suggest that prices will only increase as supplies decrease. Increasing supplies now only means less later.

So chances are, unless we convert to a reliable, renewable fuel source, prices for fuel are only going up.

 

[Denninmi]

Hey, just an update -- the turkey dinner was great. The biggest thing I noticed which is different from mass production/mass market grocery store birds -- it wasn't SALTY. Which is great, we all have health reasons not to consume a lot of salt. Unless you pay big bucks for a "natural" bird at the grocery store, they're all pre-brined/injected with salt solution.

Yum, yum. Tonight, we've ground some of the thigh meat into burger.

 

[Frosty]

There is no way my birds would dress out at that weight, and I believe I got them on 22 May. But then again, I only feed them once a week, they have to forage for the rest. They do a number on the grasshopper population, eat apples that fall from the trees (which keeps yellow jackets from gathering), eat potato beetles... The free ranging keeps the weight gain slow which avoids leg problems and keeps them from getting obscenely huge. I do pick them up now and then to make sure they feel like they are doing ok, not too thin. The last week or so I pen them up and feed them, the Saturday before Thanksgiving the Toms dress out at 15 - 18 pounds and hens are in the 11 or 12 pound range. Right now they almost have a heritage looking build, but that will change.

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
No, I know its sacrilege to many, especially on turkeys, but I just skinned them. We rarely eat the skin on poultry in my house, too fatty. Once in a while if I roast or rotisserie one. Skinning is easy peasy -- slips off like a glove overall -- a little bit sticks on the small of the back and wings, but its quick and easy for me.

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
Mine were confined, but I let them out a few times when I was outside with them. As I said, I don't know the weight for sure, since I was too tired, so I was just guessing. Whatever they weighed, I was happy with them.