Turkey breeding group

[Lurch1]

How many years will males/females be productive for?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

After 3 years the fertility starts to drop and drops quite a bit after that each year. Also the hens will lay less eggs each year.

Steve

 

[OmaBird]

I have found the males are better breeders in there second year. Some of my older Toms are about 6 years old. I am noticing this last year they are no longer the dominate males in my group of turkeys. This year it is my two year olds that are the dominate breeders. I also find more clear eggs in my youngest hens (fall 2009). My oldest hens have not slowed down yet.

 

[Lurch1]

I am planning on getting 10 or so bourben reds to use as Christmas presents now. They will be from the same clutch. Would it be ok to keep a tom and 2 hens from the same group for breeding or should I just keep 2 hens and buy and unrelated tom next year.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

You can linebreed or inbreed them, just rotate toms and hens every few years

 

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
What do you do with the old Turkeys? This is a dilemma I have now. Can you eat a six year old turkey?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
What do you do with the old Turkeys? This is a dilemma I have now. Can you eat a six year old turkey?

We eat them often. Actually we eat turkey alot. For the normal everyday meals we skin the birds, remove the 2 breast fillets, the leg 1/4's and the wings. That's pretty much all the meat that is on a bird. The fillets you can bake/grill/make into stir fry etc. The legs and wings we put in a pressure cooker, 10 minutes at 15 pounds and the meat falls off the bones you can use that in taco's and all kinds of dishes. Some of the thighs we will grind up and make turkey sausage.

The trick with cooking older birds is cook them either fast and hot (like a stir fry) or low and slow (until it's tender)

Steve