Turkeys For 2013

[chicken pickin]

So I was hoping for a few pointers. I had a neighbor stop by today to buy eggs and they asked if they could reserve a turkey for thanksgiving. I have 3 burbon Red poults and 4 bbw. They are interested in the a br. Im not sure what to charge and do I do a deposit then do a certain dollar amout per pound or just a straight price per turkey. I told them I would let them know when they stopped by next time for eggs.

 

[desertmarcy]

So I was hoping for a few pointers. I had a neighbor stop by today to buy eggs and they asked if they could reserve a turkey for thanksgiving. I have 3 burbon Red poults and 4 bbw. They are interested in the a br. Im not sure what to charge and do I do a deposit then do a certain dollar amout per pound or just a straight price per turkey. I told them I would let them know when they stopped by next time for eggs.

What I do is take a $20 deposit to hold a turkey. I tell them deposit is nonrefundable if they change their mind. I weigh them after processing and charge $7.50/pound. My birds are feed all organic feed, hence the higher price. If you go on Good Shepard Ranch website and look at how they sell their heritage turkeys, they do a flat fee for certain pound ranges. These birds are expensive, so to me, it is more fair to charge by the pound. You need a good scale to weigh, though. I bought a nice postal scale and I really like it. It will run off batteries or plug in. It will weigh up to 50 pounds. I use it a lot to weigh amendments to my turkey feed (I weigh out fish meal and soybean meal and add to an appropriate weight of chick starter). And it has been great for weighing processed birds. The first year I sold processed turkeys, I did not know what to charge either and I charged $4/pound. I "might" have broken even on feed, not even sure. Next year price was $6.50/pound. Feed prices have risen a lot so this year I bumped it up again. You need to figure your feed costs if you want to make any money on the bird. A lot of people think they want a heritage turkey until they hear the price. It takes a lot of feed and effort to raise these birds for 6 months unless you can just let them free range and do their own thing. Here, I can't do that, so I'm buying all their feed plus a lot of work cleaning out pens.

 

[Arielle]

CHicken picken

I agree with desert marcy. MOst people will not pay high prices for good food. So you need to reach those that value it. I often use CL to pull in good customers. @ years ago I raise home grown well cared for BBW, and fresh at the butchers I asked $100 for the bird-- it weight some 36 pounds dressed. THe person declined. He clearly didn't value the lack of antibiotics and free range life the bird had. ANd good eats!!

Definitely charge a non refundable deposit. ANd charge more for the hertage birds per pound than the BBW, afterall they are unique and offer a more pleasureable texture IMO.

Good luck selling them!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

CHicken picken

I agree with desert marcy.  MOst people will not pay high prices for good food.  So you need to reach those that value it. I often use CL to pull in good customers.  @ years ago I raise home grown well cared for BBW, and fresh at the butchers I asked $100 for the bird-- it weight some 36 pounds dressed. THe person declined.  He clearly didn't value the lack of antibiotics and free range life the bird had.  ANd good eats!! 

Definitely charge a non refundable deposit.  ANd charge more for the  hertage birds per pound than the BBW, afterall they are unique and offer a more pleasureable texture IMO.

Good luck selling them!!

I agree with you. Some customers want a quality bird at a cheap price. They forget that it takes money (feed and care) to put into the bird to get a good quality bird that taste great. They are quick to say that "Jim Bob" down the road is selling his turkeys for $10.00. And my response is, "You may want to buy Jim Bob's turkey, because I ain't going down on my price."

 

[Arielle]

I'm ready to invest in a pressure canner to put up a number of my 11 month turkeys. Need a canner and need some know-how and space to store all the cans. Can't deside if I want to roast some first to give that delicious roasted flavor. Any thoughts??

 

[desertmarcy]

Thought I'd share some photos of my group mobbing the food bowls. I am going to have to invest in another hanging feeder pretty soon. I have to fill 3 bowls twice a day now and they are only 2 months old.

 

[chickadoodles]

My word Desertmarcy! That is alot of turkey! lol
They are very cute! Love some turkey!

 

[Arielle]

Such pigs, aren't they?? Mine free range and free load off any feeder they find. . . . and they like to cruise thru the paddocks. Cute mob you have!!

 

[desertmarcy]

Such pigs, aren't they?? Mine free range and free load off any feeder they find. . . . and they like to cruise thru the paddocks. Cute mob you have!!

Sure wish I had some free range here for them. Not much to eat in the desert, but plenty of predators in the desert to eat them.

 

[Arielle]

THe desert has slim pickings so yes your birdsw ould be a prime target. I am surrounded by woods and do have fox and coyote and fisher and hawks, however they are able to find much to eat in those woods and I only have occassional raiders.