Turkeys For 2013

[Chaneys Ranch]

Here's my BR pair, the tom places himself between us and his hen.
She is so small compared to him! They are in my quarantine room.
Thats a jumbo sized dog crate next to him on the right, large enough for my former old english mastiff.
Sorry pic is awful, my cell phone is old.

 

[Celie]

I'm not sure there is a middle ground but maybe that would work. I think there are definite differences in different turkey varieties or bloodlines, too. Some just seem to be naturally tamer and others more nervous. I was putting some new shade cloth up over one pen with the toms in it that I want to keep, and so I give them more attention. I was using a roll of wire to tie the shade cloth down. A couple of the toms were so fixated on that wire! They kept trying to grab it from me. Who would think some plastic coated wire would be so interesting? They must be bored

Nervous animals are a sign that you need more diverse genetics in your bloodline. Well treated animals with good genetics are calm and friendly, IMHO!
Turkeys are very curious birds and want to investigate everything, but if they see bright colored objects, their curiosity is heightened. I always tell my grand daughter, if she paints her toenails, expect them to be pecked at! Turkeys are attracted to BLING, so I don't wear any jewelry while handling them, but it helps them to find food and water, to put it in shiny aluminum bowls for poults.

yeah it is big.. I was shocked when we went to butcher them.. normally I don't have any problems scalding the birds.. had to get my husband to help me with those guys!..

we also tend to have "fat" heritage birds.. I know all the "experts" will tell you that there is never enough fat on a heritage turkey to cook it without it drying out.. but ours always had a nice covering of fat a lot like the "butterballs" we used to eat.. just wish they had a larger breast (makes for good turkey sandwiches).. but the flavor of the legs and thighs just blows away any store bought bird!

What "experts"? I have never had less than "A LOT" of fat on a home raised turkey. I usually have to remove a lot of rendered fat from my turkeys during roasting!

I don't know, these are my first turkeys. My peafowl didn't start until end of May.

Heritage turkeys become sexually mature at 8 to 9 months, depending on the breed. and will start laying the season after that. What breed do you raise? I would start watching for eggs by January, in Texas.

Here's my BR pair, the tom places himself between us and his hen.
She is so small compared to him! They are in my quarantine room.
Thats a jumbo sized dog crate next to him on the right, large enough for my former old english mastiff.
Sorry pic is awful, my cell phone is old.

Not as old as mine, cause my phone is from before they could take pictures, but then I would not know how to anyway!

BEAUTIFUL BOURBON RED TURKEYS!!!!1

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:

thank you! The tom won a lot of awards at 4H. I will watch close since the lil jenny is barely more than a poult obviously.
I really feel I need to separate them, but have no room to do it.
My poor phone is 3 years old I think, maybe 4. Ugh I hate getting a new one, i really liked the flip phones best.
DH always upgrades his. I figure if it works keep it? But pictures are such a big deal anymore.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
My aunt quit raising BBWs after having a few of the big guys like that.. she's a tiny woman and had to get help butchering them and fitting them in a roasting pan and in her oven (I don't think any of the big ones even fit)!.. she said they were more trouble that they were worth since they were too big for her to manage alone..
After she dropped one on her foot she said never again...

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
lol.. the chefs and "experts" that rear their heads around thanksgiving giving all the pros and cons of heritage birds vs the broad breasted!..

They will praise the flavor every time of the heritage birds.. then get into arguments about how they are much harder to cook (some say slow and low.. others insist on high heat for shorter times).. and how they "dry out cause of the lack of fat".. dunno where they are finding their turkeys.. but our guys are always nice and fat (sometimes too much so)!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I let my BBW get to 5 months-- just a scheduling issue at the butcher. THese were very heavy birds that did not walk any further than coop, to water to feed dish. THe long walk to the grassy was tooo much work. On The Day, I did not carry them as they were too heavy. THey did have to walk to my car one by one, and take a short ride. Getting out of the car one fell, and damaged a wing--could see the bruising later. THe heaviest dressed out at #34-35 ( the males). Still MANY pounds short of your roasters.

 

[Arielle]

Here's my BR pair, the tom places himself between us and his hen.
She is so small compared to him! They are in my quarantine room.
Thats a jumbo sized dog crate next to him on the right, large enough for my former old english mastiff.
Sorry pic is awful, my cell phone is old.

I just love this picture!!! Browns are are warm and fuzzy color and it includes my favorite birds!! BR. Goota weight on that boy?? ANd an age???

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
My aunt quit raising BBWs after having a few of the big guys like that.. she's a tiny woman and had to get help butchering them and fitting them in a roasting pan and in her oven (I don't think any of the big ones even fit)!.. she said they were more trouble that they were worth since they were too big for her to manage alone..
After she dropped one on her foot she said never again...
I would do BBW or BBB again--- but not more than 5 months old. What I do like with heritages is that if I don't have freezer space, I just keep feeding them until I do or feel the urge to pull out the big cannner.

Quote:
lol.. the chefs and "experts" that rear their heads around thanksgiving giving all the pros and cons of heritage birds vs the broad breasted!..

They will praise the flavor every time of the heritage birds.. then get into arguments about how they are much harder to cook (some say slow and low.. others insist on high heat for shorter times).. and how they "dry out cause of the lack of fat".. dunno where they are finding their turkeys.. but our guys are always nice and fat (sometimes too much so)!
I mentioned earlier in the summer getting a crappy bird-- culled her immediately. SHe was very thin, the poor thing, Very mal nourished. Yes when I roasted her, she still had plenty of fat and drippings for gravy.

And my healthy well fed boys have tooo much fat, all over the breast meat area. Really it is not too much fat, as it renders off some and the meat is well protected during my long slow 6 hour over night roasting. Long and slow and wake up to turkey ready to eat!!

I don't read the comparisons any more. THe same "test" passed on from source to source. Let's see 3-4 different breeds of turkey of the same age, same cooking method. WHat I have experienced is that there can be variation between birds of the same breed, too. Or manybe it's my post butcher handling . . . .

I do remember eating onee BBW that the fat tasted yucky-- like I had had from a commercially produced bird. I still wonder to this day what caused it.

I"m still cleaning out the freezer of bread-- my older turkeys just look at it, the younger ones race the chickens for the pcs. THe older ones were never given scraps.

So much to learn!!

 

[Celie]

My aunt quit raising BBWs after having a few of the big guys like that.. she's a tiny woman and had to get help butchering them and fitting them in a roasting pan and in her oven (I don't think any of the big ones even fit)!.. she said they were more trouble that they were worth since they were too big for her to manage alone..
After she dropped one on her foot she said never again...

I am also a small person and older, too, so I can't handle these anymore by myself, but the main reason I went to Holland Whites was they are still very large with very large breasts, but mate and reproduce naturally and do not have the complications, the hybrid do. Now we are raising the Hollands for lots of meat for the freezer per bird and will be raising smaller heritage turkeys for smaller size to fit better in the oven and the midgets for everyday meals.

 

[Celie]

Wow, good luck!
I have 2 jakes I am growing out, will let you know!

Thanks, I would like that.