If I Want to Raise My Own Turkeys for Next Thanksgiving...

[chickenannie]

toms are bigger (more meat) and have the potential to be mean, though most are sweethearts. hens can lay eggs for future poults or for eating (when mature) but tend to be smaller. If you just want to start a turkey for thanksgiving I would get a tom. Actually, since turkeys can be fragile, I would get at more than you need to start with and then you can sell or give, or keep the rest if you have extra. Plus then one guy won't get lonely.

 

[bargain]

If you have an incubator, you'd love to hatch turkeys....They have such wonderful eyes and bond to you instantly. And will go tut tut tut to you when they hear you....We probably hatched out almost 200 turkeys last year and I just adored hearing them and seeing how they bond to us....I like the heritage turkey for flavor better.....But this thanksgiving we had no turkey! as we were sold out... I would suggest a minimum of 2 turkeys.....If you get the "commercial" type of turkey be very careful about the feed as it is easy for them to grow too quickly and have buckled legs.

Hope this was helpful and please let me know if you have any more questions I can help you with.

Have a blessed evening.

 

[faykokoWV]

so, if I want a 10-15 pound white skinned turkey I should get a couple of midget whites?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Midget toms would be about that size. You would want to hatch or get the poults about the end of March or early April that would give you 6 to 7 months to grow them out. Our holiday birds are usually hatched in early spring. When it's to cold to ship eggs we hatch them for ourselves I think a 10 to 11 month old bird has better flavor than one younger.

Steve in NC

 

[anthonyjames]

I am wondering what size a pop door needs to be for a turkey to get into the coop. Can anyone share?

I am thinking about raising meat chickens next year and thinking about 2 or 3 turkeys as well. My egg layers already have one coop and figured I could make a temporary coop for the turkeys. Seeing as no nest boxes needed only roosts should be a simple and quick structure.