The conventional meat breeds, broadbreasted white and broadbreasted bronze, are not really conducive to keeping breeding stock. The birds are basically genetically doomed from day one, and don't often live long. Even if they do, they are so bulky they cannot breed naturally.
Heirloom breeds are not as "meaty" as the grocery store turkeys you will be used to (which are 100% broadbreasted white, the ONLY breed raised for mass market). But they should have more flavor and character, and they live their natural lives and will breed.
You just have to decide what size breed, color, and look appeals to you. I haven't heard too many comments about a lot of difference in the various breeds about meat quality or "meatiness".
I know I have some royal palm x sweetgrass "mutt" turkeys, and they are pretty small. The toms are probably about 15 lbs live weight, and I'm guess the hens are like 11-12, I don't know for sure, but the couple of times I've tried to sort of size them up under the feathers as adults, they seem to me like they would make a pretty small bird.
I've got some eggs in the incubator now. If these hatch, they can't all be pets, because I don't have the room. I'm either going to raise them for food, or give them away to someone else, not sure. They have to hatch first.
I'm thinking about getting a few of the broadbreasted birds from the feed store in 2 weeks to experiment with, but haven't decided yet whether or not I could do the deed when the time came. Can't run an old aged home for birds.
