Turkeys For 2013

[Treebird]

I haven't dealt with auburns but I know that you can have a sex linked effect between bronze and auburn. I'm not sure if you use an auburn tom on a bronze hen or a bronze tom on an auburn hen. I can see how this may be used easily with a BBB and an auburn. I do have to say that Broad breasted types in my opinion have the taste bred out of them. It is something that I can pick up on quite easily as do many. I guess my heart in the matter is preservation and improvement. Are turkeys expensive to feed? Yes. Especially with the rising cost of corn and no you wouldn't ever get out of a heritage bird what you've invested in it if you sold off your adults for $20-$30 each. This is why if I cant get a good price on selling my adults, they get butchered, smoked, vacuum sealed and put in the freezer. I might as well eat what I've put into them. This is a hobby for me and I sell my eggs to people who are interested in improving their Lilac or Regal Red Turkeys.

 

[Celie]

How exactly do you go about burning off the spurs of a turkey? I lost a hen last year because of a tom's spurs. It is hard to keep several toms to maturity and not have them fight over mating!

Do I have to start this when the toms are young?

 

[Arielle]

I haven't dealt with auburns but I know that you can have a sex linked effect between bronze and auburn. I'm not sure if you use an auburn tom on a bronze hen or a bronze tom on an auburn hen. I can see how this may be used easily with a BBB and an auburn. I do have to say that Broad breasted types in my opinion have the taste bred out of them. It is something that I can pick up on quite easily as do many. I guess my heart in the matter is preservation and improvement. Are turkeys expensive to feed? Yes. Especially with the rising cost of corn and no you wouldn't ever get out of a heritage bird what you've invested in it if you sold off your adults for $20-$30 each. This is why if I cant get a good price on selling my adults, they get butchered, smoked, vacuum sealed and put in the freezer. I might as well eat what I've put into them. This is a hobby for me and I sell my eggs to people who are interested in improving their Lilac or Regal Red Turkeys.

IT is my understanding that sweetgrass came from a flock of bronze, broad breasted bronze, as the article talked about slimming down the carcass for a heritage type body. I'm thinking if I can increase the breast size of the auburn to the limits of breeding ability that would improve the %meat. Just not convinced that this broad breasted auburn is a true auburn at valley of the moon. The parent company produces commercial whites.

 

[Arielle]

PS I know what youmean about the taste bred out. Having eaten a few 5m old cckls I think it is the effect of exercise and age that contributes to the tougher and more flavorful meat. Ideally, I would like a bird that is very large within 6-7 months. However, I"m sure I would run out of freezer space VERY fast, so that means I need customers to buy the extras. I have met some pe ople that like my 5m old chicken but I don't think they eat turkey in Africa. So no market there.

 

[Treebird]

Celie, I use a metal punch tool or what I call a spur iron. I first cut off any existing spur if there is one and heat the punch in a flame of some sort, a propane grill works good. I then use the hot iron punch and burn down the spur area deep into the tissue to kill the growth bud. If you do it on a young jake it is a lot easier because there usually isn't a greatly developed spur. this will heal over and the bird will not have the ability grow spurs. This takes experience to become a pro. I was taught by an old timer who's done it for years to protect his kids and grandchildren from a crazy rooster or tom. He gave me the idea. I view it a s a right of passage. The birds that have this done get to stick around the farm and breed hens. It seems cruel but nothings worse than a hen being torn open and exposed to infection and dying a slow death. Arielle a turkey is a turkey, you're probably right in assuming that broad breasted birds were used in the development of those Auburns.

 

[Arielle]

Treebird-- interesting technique.

A few weeks ago I offed the only offending rooster in the flock. None of his sons attack but this boy was easily provoked. I understand he felt he was protecting his girls, but I have too many scars and my kids carried a stick ( being boys this was fine by them) but I finally had enough when he went for my husband so to meet the numbers at the butcher, off he went. A rather sad time rally and we missed him. But over time we were able to relax and not be on guard. We learned much from that rooster . . . safety first. I have had no problems from my turkeys . . .yet.

 

[kuntrygirl]

You want to raise them on wire bottom IAfarmgirl. Turkeys in my opinion are the most difficult birds to raise but others may disagree. Once they reach a certain point though, there is no stopping them. Does IA stant for Iowa? I live in Iowa. Thanks for all the compliments guys. I work hard on what I have, thats why I dont raise a ton of different turkey breeds just my Lilacs and Regal reds. The less you have, the more you can concentrate on a particular breed. I feel size is greatly diminished in many peoples flocks because the emphisis is greater on color than size. Why not keep the color and improve the size and vigor of your birds? Turkeys sole purpose has been for meat production and we dont want to lose that, just give your birds plenty of room to roam so t
hey can still breed naturally. I also burn the spurs and back toenails off of my breeder toms because they are so heavy. I don't want them tearing open the backs on my hens.

I agree that turkeys are the most difficult birds to raise in addition to peafowl. My experience with raising on wire bottom is that it causes crocked toes. I will never ever raise another poult on wire.

 

[kuntrygirl]

The girls are up to their old tricks again. Looks like they have been laying eggs a while. I was the only dummy who didn't know it.

Found 2 dozen eggs in a bush in the front yard. This is their same spot as last year.

 

[Arielle]

The girls are up to their old tricks again. Looks like they have been laying eggs a while. I was the only dummy who didn't know it.

Found 2 dozen eggs in a bush in the front yard. This is their same spot as last year.

 

[Bettacreek]

I've finally got my first turkey egg. It was late when we got home, and when I collected it, I thought it was a chicken egg, then noticed a few speckles and started to wonder who laid that pretty egg. After getting it into the house, I realized that the entire thing was speckled and that was no chicken egg! I'm so very, very excited.