turkey weight

[turkeyman]

I got another tom and he's a mix breed of some kind but I weighted him today and he's just 18 pounds. he's four years and just weights 18 pounds. How come now days I can't find a turkey that weighs up to what the stanard calls for?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

A mature tom at 18 pounds is a sign of neglect, pure and simple. Go to a hatchery they grow out better than that

Steve in NC

 

[turkeyman]

I no the guy I got him off of. He looks heathly and acts normal he just don't weigh that much.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Its the breeding of the bird more then likely.

We have gotten poor bred turkeys a few years back and at 1 years old they weighed 15lbs live weight toms on 27% feed full time.

It also could be the breeds that he is.

Also could be that he was fed a poor ration like 16% or lower.

To get birds of standard weights you need to be very selective of the breeder you get your birds from. You need to ask alot of questions of the breeder and ask to see the breeding stock and any birds they might have that they hatched out that have some age on them.

It's hard these days to find a reliable heritage turkey breeder that their birds get to the standard weights in the time allowed. But it is starting to get better !!!

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Does the person you got him from have any other turkeys? are they all small and under weight? Do you know that mix is of the one you have

Steve in NC

 

[turkeyman]

The guy I bought him off of has about 25 turkeys. They all get to free range in his fenced in pasture.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

are the rest small as well?

Steve in NC

 

[turkeyman]

They didn't look small. most of the toms had big spurs and beards. I thought surly as big of beard as mine had that it would weigh atleast in the 20s

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

The beard is an indicator of age not weight. Except for the White Hollands it grows about an inch a year. So you can use that as a rough gauge to tell how old they are. For some reason the White Hollands grow theirs at about twice the rate of the others. We have some growing out now that have over an inch long beard and they were hatched in Jan/Feb time frame.

Steve in NC

 

[turkeyman]

Yea I no the beard means nothing about there weight but most of the time a bigger beard means a older bird and so does spur lenght as well.