Turkey housing and breed question

[iajewel]

I don't see feed costs as being prohibitive. I keep a good winter pasture as well as live in IA.. There is a corn field just across the road. Im sure that my neighbor would not mind a bit if the birds took a walk over to help him clean up any left over that may be next years volunteers. Im sure that we can sell enough dressed birds to allow them to pay for themselves. My chickens pretty much feed them selves all summer and in winter with the spilled corn from the augers and local groshery allowing me to have all their unused produce along with the left overs from dressing deer, we really don't buy much feed. The beauty of poultry is they will eat just about anything. If you are creative you can get away with almost no feed costs. Winter time, I will admit you have to be a bit more creative then in the warmer months.

 

[longranger]

Sounds like an ideal environment for your turkeys and chickens. I have never had the opportunity to experience the farm environment you are enjoying. My area is pretty urban. People think I am kidding when I tell them about my poultry and virtually call me a story teller when we talk about dressing a turkey. LOL

 

[iajewel]

To be honest, from what I read here on BYC I think you are in the majority. I think its wonderful that urban dwellers can and do connect to animals in such a way as they become part of thier lives, other then just pets, but part of the "usable" family. Eggs, meat and education. I never had the sex talk with my kids.. the animals did it for me..

They learned about life, death, and all the struggles in between on the farm. They learned that the greatest humanity often times comes from animals. When I hear people off the farm allowing themselves as adults to get this experience and also sharing it with young people it makes me smile. I think the world can be changed one chicken, goat, rabbit.. what ever.. at a time. One lesson in life, at a time. You don't need a corn field to do that.

 

[the simple life]

Have you checked here? I have heard very good things about them on this forum.

http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=...l&icp=1&.intl=us&sig=sfqcKssJc1_f.0uBDlVvbg--

 

[iajewel]

Thanks, I had seen their site before but when I read about the breeds individually it sounded more like they did allot of mixing of the breeds? So I didn't know what to think.

 

[the simple life]

They sell only heritage turkeys and he developed his own line of sweetgrass and calls them calicos but other than that I believe they really do only sell purebreeds. I know he sells alot of breeds but I don't believe any will be crosses, his birds are beautiful and alot of people are happy with them.
I would buy turkeys from him in a minute over having to hatch my own eggs but the minimum is 15 and I don't want that many.