nonwhite small to med size breeds good for eating?

[patandchickens]

So the BBB poults are so cool, they've got me planning seriously for some 'real' turkeys for next year.

I think I want something that won't cost too awful much in feed to carry breeders over the winter, thus something smallish; but that will produce a decently tasty/meaty carcass (does not have to be all breasty like a commercial turkey of course).

But it has to be not white (for stupid reasons involving DH and his family and their opinion of turkeys

).

Ideally I think I'd prefer something sort of Royal Palm sized but I have read comments that lead me to believe they do not make great meat birds (??). Is that correct, and are there any other non-white alternatives in that sort of body size?

If I had to move up to medium sized birds, I know everyone speaks well of Bourbon Reds so I guess they'd be an option for me but honestly I find them rather unattractive (sorry) -- would Narragansetts be a decent meat option or is there anything else not too large-bodied you'd suggest?

I'm particularly interested in PERSONAL EXPERIENCE recommendations in terms of the eatin' qualities of various breeds. Temperament matters somewhat too, in that I don't want something likely to produce aggressive toms.

Thanks very much,

Pat

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

the RP's will not give you much meat at a young age.

Narragansetts would be a good choice if you don't like the Bourbons. But they are too considered a medium-large breed or you could try the blue slates they are on the smaller size for the heritage turkeys, they are about the same size as the Narris, of course all of this depends on where you get your turkeys from as some don't breed for size or growth rates, so you can get breeds that are bigger but from the right breeders they will be smaller...

 

[bargain]

I love our Bronze Turkeys. We ate several last year and they were just fabulous. I can send photos of the birds if you like. I do sell hatching eggs if you happen to need any.

Have a blessed evening. Nancy

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:

I'm particularly interested in PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Harp do you raise Royal Palms or Blue Slates?

The Royal Palm is not a good choice for a meat bird as it was never really used for that purpose and never bred for meat production. They are small in the breast area - that is from personal experience - we raise them.

You have very much limited yourself by excluding the white feathered turkeys in my opinion. If it were possible we would invite you and DH to a Midget White meal and change his mind very quickly.

Steve in NC​

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Well, DH is the only one who eats white meat anyhow, the kids and I prefer dark

... does being small-breasted decrease their overall feed conversion efficiency, or is it that for the feed they consume you just get proportionately less white meat?

You have very much limited yourself by excluding the white feathered turkeys in my opinion. If it were possible we would invite you and DH to a Midget White meal and change his mind very quickly.

Well, here's the thing, he and his whole family will talk your ear off for a long time, EVERY SINGLE TIME THE SUBJECT COMES UP, about how stupid a person would have to be to want to raise birds dumb enough to drown looking up at rain. I have been hearing this A WHOLE LOT for some years now, and that's without even *having* turkeys; now that I've got the 3 little poults, I'm hearing it even more. Since hitting them all upside the head with something heavy would be illegal and too much work anyhow, I would rather just avoid the subject somewhat by having things that don't LOOK as much like big dumb white commercial turkeys, you know?

I *was* actually hoping to get some midget whites later on, once (hopefully) the family's 'it's stupid to raise turkeys' monologue has hopefully diminished (they have finally simmered down considerably about the chickens, so there is some hope...).

Mind you, these people do not hesitate for one moment to EAT turkey, they just have a very low opinion of anyone who'd RAISE them. Don't get me started

From what y'all are saying, I am thinking of maybe next year trying to get some midget whites (and earplugs

), as well as also some of a larger less-stupid-big-white-turkey-lookin' breed, and see what ends up as the keeper(s). And maybe keep a big heavy smackin-upside-the-head object handy

Thanks very much,

Pat​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Being smaller breasted doesn't hurt the RP's in the eating dept. at all lol. They can shovel the feed in just as fast as the rest.

On the feed you can suplement with whole corn, fresh greens (ours love collards) and boil back eggs for them. Some people raise meal worms for their poultry. We raise 6 varities of them so anything we can do to not make a trip to the feed mill we do.

And by the way in all the years we have been raising turkeys we have never had one drown in a rain storm - that would include tropical storms and hurricains.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Harp do you raise Royal Palms or Blue Slates?

Yes we raised RP in the past that is how we got our Mottled Blacks and we sold our breeding stock of Blue Slates this February as we didn't want to breed them anymore,as we are introducing in Beltsville whites,Hollands and the Kardosh Bronze, so we needed to make room and the mottled blacks go at the end of this year too.

My post comes from personal experience !!​

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
OK, point taken, will probably cross them off my list of possibilities

And by the way in all the years we have been raising turkeys we have never had one drown in a rain storm - that would include tropical storms and hurricains.

Yup, well, feel free to try to tell my DH and his family that. I hope you have loooooottttttttsssss of time on your hands

Coupla more questions if I may....

I may have a hard time getting midget whites in Canada, but I know of a source for what's billed as Beltsville Small Whites, woudl that be comparable or not?

Do any of you have opinions (public or pm) on the quality of Sandhill's midget whites? (Since they are one of the very very few outfits that will do health papers for cross-border transport).

And, could midget whites be kept with a larger breed e.g. BR or Narragansetts, or would the big ones pick on the little ones too much to mix them?

Thanks,

Pat​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
OK, point taken, will probably cross them off my list of possibilities

And by the way in all the years we have been raising turkeys we have never had one drown in a rain storm - that would include tropical storms and hurricains.

Yup, well, feel free to try to tell my DH and his family that. I hope you have loooooottttttttsssss of time on your hands

Coupla more questions if I may....

I may have a hard time getting midget whites in Canada, but I know of a source for what's billed as Beltsville Small Whites, woudl that be comparable or not?

Do any of you have opinions (public or pm) on the quality of Sandhill's midget whites? (Since they are one of the very very few outfits that will do health papers for cross-border transport).

And, could midget whites be kept with a larger breed e.g. BR or Narragansetts, or would the big ones pick on the little ones too much to mix them?

Thanks,

Pat​

Pat,
I have heard good things and bad things about the Canadian flock of Belts. I do know the U of Guelph got the stock from the USDA Ames research facility. There is one name that keeps popping up that has some of the original birds - (not trying to be behind the scenes - sorry) PM me Pat you probably know the name already. Some of those birds have gotten back into the states, Jerry Pool got a tom and I thought that was it but come to find out there have been quite a few others that came south. Anyway, they have proven to be good breeders and somewhat different from the BSW's that come from Ames. We have some original's and some with Canadian blood.

In my opinion and from other people I know Sandhill is overrated. We have ordered from them in the past and were not impressed. I thought all the big hatcheries ship to Canada? Murry etc?

Yes you can keep them together, overall size wise there isn't that much difference. The weight is the big thing. Our BR toms are maybe 6 inches taller than the Midgets, if they are raised together and/or know how to mix them in it's no big deal. We raise ours together as poults up to about 6 months and then they go off with the flocks and they get along fine

Steve in NC

 

[patandchickens]

Thank you so much for all the help, Steve! I really appreciate it. I've PM'd you about Beltsville White info.

Quote:
Oh, I feel stupid now, I didn't think to look in McMurray's catalog for midget whites and of course now that you point it out, yes they do carry them

McMurray is the only place besides Sandhill that I know of that'll do the paperwork for Canadaian border transit, though (I don't know for sure that no others would if specifically asked, but I kind of doubt it since nobody up here EVER seems to order from any US hatchery except sandhill and MM).

McMurray's turkeys would be ok quality, then? (in terms of health and eating quality)

We raise ours together as poults up to about 6 months and then they go off with the flocks and they get along fine

OK, great

Thanks again,

Pat​