- Feb 28, 2013
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This is our first year with turkeys. We have 3 BB Whites, 1 female and 2 toms. We got them at 2 or 3 days old the 1st week in May. We wanted to keep them until Thanksgiving and then butcher one for a fresh holiday dinner and put the other two in the freezer.
We've been raising meat chickens for a few years and brine our birds for a day, rest for 1 or 2 days after that and then cook or freeze which is what we plan to do with the turkeys.
Is this breed (I think they are called BBB really, they are the big white ones) the same as the meat chickens in that they grow fast, and can die from heart and leg issues? Should I be concerned now that all three are quite large (we guesstimate about 40-50 lbs for the biggest tom), that they could develop health issues and die before butcher time? They free range every day and I supplement with Wild Game/Turkey feed that they have access to during the day. We pen them at night in a coop to protect them from predators. Only one Tom can fly onto the roost now, which is 2 feet high.
Does the quality and taste of the meat diminish if we butcher and freeze before Thanksgiving? Our chicken is delicious despite being frozen, but we want this to be a special Thanksgiving and it is our first time raising the meat for the holiday.
We've been raising meat chickens for a few years and brine our birds for a day, rest for 1 or 2 days after that and then cook or freeze which is what we plan to do with the turkeys.
Is this breed (I think they are called BBB really, they are the big white ones) the same as the meat chickens in that they grow fast, and can die from heart and leg issues? Should I be concerned now that all three are quite large (we guesstimate about 40-50 lbs for the biggest tom), that they could develop health issues and die before butcher time? They free range every day and I supplement with Wild Game/Turkey feed that they have access to during the day. We pen them at night in a coop to protect them from predators. Only one Tom can fly onto the roost now, which is 2 feet high.
Does the quality and taste of the meat diminish if we butcher and freeze before Thanksgiving? Our chicken is delicious despite being frozen, but we want this to be a special Thanksgiving and it is our first time raising the meat for the holiday.