Wow, Very nice turkeys, and friends ! And what a variety! When you do eat them, please let us know which ones you think taste best? I see you have guineas, If you plan to sell eggs next spring, please let me know, I would like some eggs for hatching. I hear they make great noisy watch dogs. I have Rouen and Pekin ducks, African brown geese and Holland turkeys and a lot of chickens so if you want to swap Guinea eggs for any of these, please let me know.Not one to do things half way......I started with turkeys this year and had wanted to start with just the narragansett but at the time they were out. So I picked up a few blue slate (that looking at that site provided look more like lilacs) and royal palms. Then a month or so later the nars were available so I picked up 4 of those as well - and another blue slate (lil bit so shes younger and smaller and having difficulty competing with the older, larger birds).
Just a note, I tried picking by head shape on the nars - squarish for males, ovoids for females - and that's the only set that I got 2 males! The blues and royals by luck of the draw got 3 hens and a tom each set.
The Nars are the biggest birds and the Palms the smallest. The Nar and Blue toms are right up "protecting" and in any visitors' business. The Blue tom is more agressive peckish, I've had to take him down several times while the Nar only a couple. Has not been an issue with the Palms. Actually the Palms don't seem to be as social as the other two breeds or as nosey. The youngest/smallest blue hen is spoiled rotten getting special rations - she's decided she's a lap bird. If I sit down out side she jumps in my lap, snuggles up and naps. Otherwise she follows me around like a puppy.
Oops! I forgot my first turkey was a giant bronze. He was given to me all ready grown. All I can say is he got VERY agressive to the point I had to carry a broom out with me. He never spurred anybody but drew blood pecking more than once. A stray got him or he would have hit the table......HUGE tho.
This batch, unless I need to cull, isn't destained for the table. Looking forward to babies next year and plumping up the freezer.
All I know is if they compare to the cornishX chickens I butchered for superior taste compared to commercial - they're ALL going to be awesome!
