Info on meat turkeys

[AliciaM]

I am going to get about 20 turkeys in another month or so and would like some recommendations.. They are going to be for meat and I will probably keep a pair for breeding the next year..

I like the idea that the Broad breasted ones get big fast, but I dont want to have to worry about their little legs giving out too soon..There pen will be like an acre in size so they will get to roam around a bit..

What is the best breed for getting the most bang for your buck?

I have an incubator. Would it be better/cheaper to hatch some or buy as day olds?

WHO is the best to buy from?

Thank you

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

When you say bang for the buck, that to me is saying what will produce the most meat on the least food. Heritage turkeys will do better if you are expecting them to find their own food for any substantial portion of their diet but they take 3 times as long to grow and take a lot more food to get to processing weight. Broad breasted white or bronze then are two top choices. Don't often see hatchings eggs availible for these so chicks is likely the easiest.

Should be no big worry about their legs, they are not as bad of as white broiler chickens. You may want to decide how big you want them to get, it is easy for them to get bigger than you want if you don't have your processing lined up ahead. 20 turkeys takes a huge amount of freezer space too, esp to get them frozen initially.

They do need quite a bit of brooder time too to get them feathered out even after 4-5 weeks they can chill quickly if not protected from bad weather.