is there a handy growth chart somewhere?

[Poupoulles]

Hi guys, I'd like to know if there is a handy growth chart, maybe by variety, for turkeys. So how much should my whites, bronzes weigh at x months, versus my black spanish, etc...
My flock has different varieties, and they are growing at different rates. If I know how about where they should be, then I can see if any issues arise. Is variety A smaller because they are supposed to be, or is there something wrong with them?
example: My bronzes were peensy and then all of a sudden they shot up and out and now they are ridiculously huge.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I have never seen a chart like that. The only guidlines I have ever seen were by the APA standards and that is just a weight range.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Never seen a chart on that as well

It would be real hard to make a chart like that because of all the different methods and breeding practices. I know they have them on the BB types but they are like the cornish x's and they got them breed to a science.

Way too many variables to make a chart like that in my opion.

Our Br's, narris and bs's all grow at the same rate pretty much. then you get the bronze and they grow bigger faster then the rest but a white holland should grow at the same rate as a bronze.

 

[Poupoulles]

And is there a regular size range within the varieties? Keeping in mind these are from a large hatchery, so I'm not exactly looking for the Standard... heh heh But I have the spectrum. My black turkey toms (there are four) range from peensy to HUGE. And of course the peensy one spends half him time starting dust ups and getting his butt kicked. I thought he was a poor defenseless hen and felt bad until I saw him run up to my biggest Tom and SNATCH HIM UP by the wattles while squawking and standing on his tippytoes. The ensuing smackdown was pretty spectacular... My biggest Tom is a Narri and he is sweet and not very bright but he came down on the little Black like a barn collapsing... And my white turkeys are serious late bloomers, the toms dont gobble, or strut, and they are all a little on the smaller side. Maybe I should seperate out the little ones to make sure they are getting enough chow?

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Maybe I should seperate out the little ones to make sure they are getting enough chow?

Yes that sounds like that would be worth while doing. Sometimes the ones that grow faster will beat off the smaller ones and they never get the right amount of food so they are always small and the bigger ones will always stay bigger.

That is the problem with the heritage turkeys is the breeding has not been there for a lot of years now so they are all over the board on weight and weight gain. I suspect in the next 3-4 years with the right breeding everything should start evening out so they all gain and weigh close to what they are suppose to. Most hatchery birds never do make it to the standard weights in the proper time frame, no matter what you do. If you are harvesting them the best thing to do is find a breeder that is breeding for the weight gain and the weight factors as it is a very critical part of the survival of the birds. A lot of people buy the hatchery birds and they never make weight and they have a scrawny bird for the holidays and they stop raising them simply because they don't make a good table bird, and that will cause another melt down if things don't change.​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Yes that sounds like that would be worth while doing. Sometimes the ones that grow faster will beat off the smaller ones and they never get the right amount of food so they are always small and the bigger ones will always stay bigger.

That is the problem with the heritage turkeys is the breeding has not been there for a lot of years now so they are all over the board on weight and weight gain. I suspect in the next 3-4 years with the right breeding everything should start evening out so they all gain and weigh close to what they are suppose to. Most hatchery birds never do make it to the standard weights in the proper time frame, no matter what you do. If you are harvesting them the best thing to do is find a breeder that is breeding for the weight gain and the weight factors as it is a very critical part of the survival of the birds. A lot of people buy the hatchery birds and they never make weight and they have a scrawny bird for the holidays and they stop raising them simply because they don't make a good table bird, and that will cause another melt down if things don't change.

Do you ever mention this on any other boards other than this one or contacted a hatchery about your concerns? The big hatcheries do monitor these boards often. The Rare Heritage turkey group on Yahoo has alot of the "big names" you quote from on it. Are you on there? The group was even started in the PNW and there are alot of members right in your neck of the woods.

Steve in NC

 

[my3bratz2008]

Can anyone tell me if my Royal Palm looks like a Jake or not??? Today my hubby used a turkey call, and it's head and neck went red, but it doesn't exactly gobble like our Narr's do. I believe it is around 4 mos of age, but not too sure.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Do you ever mention this on any other boards other than this one or contacted a hatchery about your concerns? The big hatcheries do monitor these boards often. The Rare Heritage turkey group on Yahoo has alot of the "big names" you quote from on it. Are you on there? The group was even started in the PNW and there are alot of members right in your neck of the woods.

Nope never heard of it. I'll look in to it.​

 

[Poupoulles]

My current plan is to learn as much as I can with this bunch, maybe keep a couple, and eat the rest (if they are not nice table birds they will make very nice ground turkey or sausage...)
Then I will feel more confident about turkeys in general and will start raising proper birds from a local guy who has VERY NICE birds of all kinds. If these dont turn out right, its no big loss, but I am trying to cram as much knowledge as possible into one season!!!

example:
a lightweight turkey tractor frame that is too lightweight to support a full waterer is BAD.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Nope never heard of it. I'll look in to it.

That is a big suprise to me as much as you talk about preserving the heritage turkey. I figured you would be a member of the ALBC or the SPPA, we are proud members of both and don't see you there either. I have mentioned the RHT yahoo group to you before.

Steve in NC