Midget White owners -- opinion on hatchery sources?

[SIMZ]

Hello! We're going to get Midget White turkeys in the spring.

The problem is that we're not sure where to get them. Meyer hatchery & McMurray offer them. Has anyone gotten MW's from either of these hatcheries? Any opinions on their birds? Any other sources for poults? (We don't want to do hatching eggs at this point unless it's within driving distance for us.)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kscott45]

I hatched out 1 tom and 2 hens and mine are small, Wikipedia states, The Midget White is a breed of domestic turkey named for its white plumage and small stature. The breed is the smallest standard variety of turkey, and with toms at roughly 13 lbs and hens 8-10 lbs, it weighs only slightly more than the largest chickens.
Be careful I have yet to find a hatchery that doesn't state that toms weigh 18 to 20 lbs and that's to big, there probably Beltsville Whites. I got my hatching eggs off ebay from a seller that stated her birds were small and not Beltsville's and her toms were 14lbs or less.

I just lost my Tom to unknown reason, found him dead on the large heating mat I have in the pen, was a cold nite, he was 11months old and weighed 10lbs, the 2 hens i have weigh 6lbs and 8lbs.

I have been trying to find someone local to trade a hen for a tom but no luck. I hate to try and hatch eggs again, even though I had 6 out of 8 eggs hatch I lost 3 to vent picking and end up raising the last 3 in separate cages till there tail feathers covered there vents and there wing feathers where full out, they picked at each others wing feathers too. They no longer picked at vents or wings when they were fully feathered and I then was able to put them back together, I don't know what I was doing wrong that they were so hard to raise. Now they are wonderful birds and I am sad I lost my Tom he was a great friendly bird and was very showy, I loved to watch him strut his stuff. The hens will get on my lap if I let them and go to sleep, 1 is very sweet, the other likes to pick at me more but they so love it when the grand kids come and run around the yard they can't help but to run around all excited with them.

 

[SIMZ]

I have noticed that the hatcheries I've looked at list their weights that high.

My concern with hatching is that I'll only end up with a few turkeys....or just one tom. I'm good with eating things as long as they remain part of a larger group. Around here, individuals end up with names like "Franklin" and then become lifelong pets.

My reasoning is that if I order 15 poults that my chances are better of ending up with at least 2 hens and 2 toms. Then we'll get to eat at least one turkey next year. LOL

 

[SIMZ]

I'm so sorry about you Tom.

They sound like such sweet birds.

 

[Kscott45]

Search for breeders then, you may have to pay a little more then the hatchery but you will get the real Midgets.

 

[mamawolf544]

I hatched out 1 tom and 2 hens and mine are small, Wikipedia states, The Midget White is a breed of domestic turkey named for its white plumage and small stature. The breed is the smallest standard variety of turkey, and with toms at roughly 13 lbs and hens 8-10 lbs, it weighs only slightly more than the largest chickens.
Be careful I have yet to find a hatchery that doesn't state that toms weigh 18 to 20 lbs and that's to big, there probably Beltsville Whites. I got my hatching eggs off ebay from a seller that stated her birds were small and not Beltsville's and her toms were 14lbs or less.

I just lost my Tom to unknown reason, found him dead on the large heating mat I have in the pen, was a cold nite, he was 11months old and weighed 10lbs, the 2 hens i have weigh 6lbs and 8lbs.

I have been trying to find someone local to trade a hen for a tom but no luck. I hate to try and hatch eggs again, even though I had 6 out of 8 eggs hatch I lost 3 to vent picking and end up raising the last 3 in separate cages till there tail feathers covered there vents and there wing feathers where full out, they picked at each others wing feathers too. They no longer picked at vents or wings when they were fully feathered and I then was able to put them back together, I don't know what I was doing wrong that they were so hard to raise. Now they are wonderful birds and I am sad I lost my Tom he was a great friendly bird and was very showy, I loved to watch him strut his stuff. The hens will get on my lap if I let them and go to sleep, 1 is very sweet, the other likes to pick at me more but they so love it when the grand kids come and run around the yard they can't help but to run around all excited with them.

I will have to disagree with that statement from Wikipedia, nobody verifies what is written on that site.
I raise Midget Whites, I have for several years now, the Tom's should weigh about 18 pounds, the Beltsville about 23 pounds. The 13 pounds may be dressed weight of the bird.
My Tom's roughly weigh 18 each and my hen's 12 each, they are all uniform in shape and weight, as is their offspring. People try to pass off almost any white turkey as a Midget White, and you get crosses that have the same problem.
I have worked on mine for years, And have only used one tom and 2 hen's for breeding. This year I have 2 more hens to go into my breeding pen.

 

[zekii]

When you breed midget whites you are selecting breeders opposite of what you would normally do with larger heritage breeds. With Midget white you want to select the smaller Toms & Hens to breed, that way you will keep the size within the normal variety limits. Most hatcheries don't select out, so you end up with larger turkeys. Try to get your midget whites from a breeder that as breed for the standard.

 

[sd-eddie]

How common is it for young turkeys to break the tip of threre beak ? I got one less then 3 month old midget my best guess it's got it's beak stuck in chicken wire or fighting?

I guess the question is this common with turkeys in cages?

And will it grow back, and what antibiotics are safe for turkey's ?

 

[TattooedMama]

How common is it for young turkeys to break the tip of threre beak ? I got one less then 3 month old midget my best guess it's got it's beak stuck in chicken wire or fighting?

I guess the question is this common with turkeys in cages?

And will it grow back, and what antibiotics are safe for turkey's ?

From my understanding the beak should grow back. Is it bleeding, or why do you need antibiotics?

 

[sd-eddie]

More of a crack on the top breek , tho it's looks like it's healing , and I asked about antibiotics, because I like to keep stuff on hand ready to use if needed. And read about chicken antibiotics are bad for turkeys .