Turkeys For 2013

[Chicken man76]

Does anyone have an idea what an eastern wild hen and a Bourbon red toms breed would look like. Would they be bigger in size like the bourbon red and less chewy like a wild bird can be.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Spell check at its best-- caruncles--lol

At what age can you start eating turkeys? I have 14 and plan on eating 7 of them. All were born in the spring.

Technically you can start eating at any time. THe older they are the more meat. Turkeys also over winter well because of their feathering and size. Just need some shelter during bad weather.

LOL...the turkeys tried to get in the car as my husband was trying to leave to go somewhere tonight.

lol-- I now have scratches on the door where they scrabled up the door!! Mine run down the drive follwoing the car--- until DS shoo's them back .

Quote: PICs !!!
will see if i can manage that

Thanks for the tip Arielle! I want to get a handful from several different breeders, I am officially hooked on BRs, my Snoodles from you has stolen my heart

He is the sweetest baby doll I have ever had. Will be pestering you late winter for another big box of your awesome eggs!
So far I am planning to keep the Bourbon Reds. SO yes, pester me for eggs again. lol

We need to see a pic of Snoodles!!!!!!!

Quote: YOu have my little grey cells working overtime!! I like putting big birds in the oven because it is less work to get them there between processing and having lots of ready to eat meat all roasted up.

I loook at some of my turkey hens and they are hardly bigger than my chicken hens-- not really but close enough to realize the girls are a much smaller roast then the boys.

 

[B J Hopkins]

I have the same prob with my tom Big Red I have to monitor him when I let him free range or else he tries to stomp my 2 roosters into the ground he's just to big for the I know its a pack leader thing he wants to run the flock.

Sometimes, not all the time but sometimes, I keep the tom turkey in his fenced yard while the rest of the turkeys & chickens are free ranging. Other times I keep the 2 roosters in their fenced in yard while the tom turkey & his flock free range w/ the chicken hens. Then the times I let ALL the flock out I have to break up fighting.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I usually have most of my birds free range. I keep my OEGB, Polish and Silkies separate.
I am not hatching anymore til spring so most of my flocks are in my main coop.
I have a big issue with my GLW roosters trying to mate my RP hen. She will stomp them real fast, and gets flat aggressive, runs them off.
(HEHE, GOO LILA teach them to leave u alone

) The tom, Buddy lets her handle it usually, unless she cries out.
Its only my GLWs, I am probably doing away with that breed of chicken altogether.
The hens lay fairly well, but my australorps do much better, and my BA roos don't challenge my turkeys.
Really like their temperament better. My lavender orps are never an issue either.
Both the LO and BA Roos are a much meatier bird too, so they fit our needs better.
My geese seem to want to nibble Buddy s tail feathers. I am separating them this week, but thinking the geese need more protein.
Geese and pekin are getting a new pen and the turkeys are too..

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

will try to get snoodles in daylight, he is an invade your space kinda guy.
My phone stinks so will get DD to take pics, he is so precious!

 

[Arielle]

will try to get snoodles in daylight, he is an invade your space kinda guy.
My phone stinks so will get DD to take pics, he is so precious!

 

[Celie]

Quote:
At 1 week, I sold mine for $10, other people were getting $15, at a month, I charged $15, 2 months$20, 3 months $30, 4 Months $40, after that till 8 months is $50, After 8 months $2.50 a pound live for toms, $60 each for hens and only in pairs. A 7 month old pair is $100., If I process a tom, it is over a year and costs $4.50 a pound weight after processing., so a 30# tom would run $135. but that is a very big meaty turkey and will feed 40 to 50 adults.

 

[Celie]

Does anyone have an idea what an eastern wild hen and a Bourbon red toms breed would look like. Would they be bigger in size like the bourbon red and less chewy like a wild bird can be.

If it were me , it would probably turn out scrawny and stringy! LOL

But I am not into mixing the breeds. I really do not like wild turkey, so I couldn't really tell you.

 

[Celie]

So far I am planning to keep the Bourbon Reds. SO yes, pester me for eggs again. lol

We need to see a pic of Snoodles!!!!!!!



YOu have my little grey cells working overtime!! I like putting big birds in the oven because it is less work to get them there between processing and having lots of ready to eat meat all roasted up.

I loook at some of my turkey hens and they are hardly bigger than my chicken hens-- not really but close enough to realize the girls are a much smaller roast then the boys.

Remember, I do not process under a year old because I like lots of meat and that happens after the first year. The ones I processed last year at about 18-19 months were very large and weighed 34 and 35 pounds after processing not counting giblets, the 9 month old weighed only 20 pounds and did not have half the amount of meat. I don't know about BRs yet, because I only have 1 hen. I will be hatching more BR eggs in the spring, unless KuntryGirl still wants to swap like we were going to last spring, but everyone got too busy. I also have some MW, but they are still very young. The only mature turkeys I have are Holland Whites that are very big and broad! They were the commercial breed before 1935, when turkey was mostly sold in restaurants and in hotels, when banquets were popular. Other breeds were raised on small farms for family use, mostly. At least, that's what all the books, I read, said. They used the genetics from those big birds to develop the Hybrid GIANT WHITES, most of us refer to as BBW. I see these turkeys grow their massive frames,( almost as large as BBWs but with taller legs and slightly smaller breasts), during the first 8 to 9 months and then during the next 8 to 10 months, they fill out their massive frames and really pack on the meat, especially in the breast and thighs. At 19 months Heritage turkeys reach their full mature weight and in my opinion, the best flavor. The hens grow the same way, but about 2/3rds the size of the tom. At 18 months or a little older, they are very wide and could be mistaken for a year old tom, if you just went by size. I haven't processed any mature hens yet, but when I processed one younger, because she was injured, the same was true, not as much meat for a more massive frame would imply. I prefer a 35#, meaty bird to a 20 #, with about 1/3 the amount of meat, even if it takes twice the time. For me in the south, the older bird cost less per pound to winter over, taking everything into consideration, like price per poult, brooder time, hardiness of older turkeys and after the first year, turkeys eat less than they do while growing the first year and forage better. I can not fit a 35# whole bird in my oven, so I am suppose to trade half grown Hollands with another BYC person for some Beltsville Small whites and buy some Narragansett hatching eggs, when hers start laying. Then I will have 5 different breeds to compare. That is if I can keep them separated! LOL But I'm gonna try!

 

[Celie]

I usually have most of my birds free range. I keep my OEGB, Polish and Silkies separate.
I am not hatching anymore til spring so most of my flocks are in my main coop.
I have a big issue with my GLW roosters trying to mate my RP hen. She will stomp them real fast, and gets flat aggressive, runs them off.
(HEHE, GOO LILA teach them to leave u alone

) The tom, Buddy lets her handle it usually, unless she cries out.
Its only my GLWs, I am probably doing away with that breed of chicken altogether.
The hens lay fairly well, but my australorps do much better, and my BA roos don't challenge my turkeys.
Really like their temperament better. My lavender orps are never an issue either.
Both the LO and BA Roos are a much meatier bird too, so they fit our needs better.
My geese seem to want to nibble Buddy s tail feathers. I am separating them this week, but thinking the geese need more protein.
Geese and pekin are getting a new pen and the turkeys are too..





I read somewhere that an australorps holds the record in the Gennius book of world records for egg laying, laying 364 eggs in 365 consecutive days! They are fantastic layers and one of my favorite breeds, too! They look to me a lot like Orpingtons, except for color. Orpingtons are another of my favorites, but they are not very camouflaged while foraging and hawks see them very good in a green pasture!

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