I'm about to rescue a few turkeys and I need to know a few things.

[cupman]

My friend is getting rid of all of his poultry. That includes a bunch of month old chicks and 2 or 3 turkeys. I know they are bronze and white turkeys, that's all. I think the white ones are meat turkeys, like the cornish cross for turkeys... but I really don't know. Are there meat turkeys that grow rapidly like the cornish cross? If so will the turkeys die at a young age? I adopt the turkeys in 2 or 3 days so I have a little bit of time to educate myself on turkey care.

 

[Scottingitup]

Yes there are turkeys bred especially for meat. They are classified as "broad-breasted", come in a few breeds (bronze, white are the ones I know) and reach market weight at around 5 months. They can live past that with a careful diet and lots of time to free range. I have not personally done that so someone else who has can chime in here.

There are also many heritage breeds that will live for years we will need more info to help you on breed.

 

[cupman]

I must have meat turkeys. Friend told me he bought 6 turkeys to begin with.. 3 white and 3 bronze. He only has 3 left as a few got trampled the first day before he moved them. I was really hoping I had a heritage breed.. something that would last a couple years. Maybe I'll check Craigslist.

Thank you.

 

[Scottingitup]

There are non broad breasted bronze and non broad breasted white turkeys so the coloration at a young age isn't much of a help.

 

[cupman]

Well I asked him where he bought his turkeys and I visit the feed store he got them from. Sure enough they had two turkeys, bronze and white. I read the tags and it said the white turkey's purpose was meat and that the bronze was meat/ornamental. So I'm not sure if the bronze is a meat bird or not but the white definitely is.