Turkeys For 2013

[Arielle]

No, we did ours in only four cuts, no bone. Stew meat, ground meat, boneless roasts and the chops. They cut the meat from between the ribs instead of having ribs, since we both hate straight ribs.

I usually get back everything, but find it expensive. I see the prices at the grocery and wondr why I can't get decent prices on the hoof. I did see how it is butchered and I think I could do my own IF i had a good knive and sharpener.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Does anyone have any newly hatched poults or eggs in the incubator?

Does anyone band their turkeys to tell the year hatched/ages? If so, what sizes do you use and where did you get them from?

 

[chicken pickin]

Does anyone have any newly hatched poults or eggs in the incubator?

Does anyone band their turkeys to tell the year hatched/ages? If so, what sizes do you use and where did you get them from?

I was wondering that also. Im planning on getting bands and banding all my turkeys for a different color for a different purpose. I was hoping to buy bands local from a store but I think most likely they need to be bought online.

 

[Bettacreek]

I've been laughed at by men, but I only use one tool to butcher my deer out. Two actually, if you count the rope to hang it. My trusty little 4" pocket knife takes me from whole carcass to freezer on all of my deer. The reason we took the lamb to butcher was because I had no way to pop it off. No gunfire allowed on prison property, nd I wasn't about to slit the poor thing's throat. If you want all boneless meat, it's pretty simple really. Big muscles get cut or pulled from the bone whole for roasts, pull the backstraps off for slicing intochops, the restinto chunks for canning/stewing. If you've got a grinder, grind up the chunks into ground meat, plus any scraps

I usually get back everything, but find it expensive. I see the prices at the grocery and wondr why I can't get decent prices on the hoof.  I did see how it is butchered and I think I could do my own IF i had a good knive and sharpener. 

 

[kuntrygirl]

Does anyone have any newly hatched poults or eggs in the incubator?


Does anyone band their turkeys to tell the year hatched/ages? If so, what sizes do you use and where did you get them from?

I was wondering that also. Im planning on getting bands and banding all my turkeys for a different color for a different purpose. I was hoping to buy bands local from a store but I think most likely they need to be bought online.

Yes, you will probably be better off buying them online. I am looking online now to see what I will buy.

 

[Bettacreek]

I want to band birds, but with the massive variety of sizes, I'd need to buy a pack of every size. From button quail to the monster sized legs of the bb turkeys.

As for ranging the bb's, mine do as well as the royal palm. My hens are only twenty pounds at eight months though. But, that's a lot of meat. My dominant tom is bbb/royal palm. He wouldn't be muchworth eating though. I'm hoping 75% bb and 25% palm will give me a better meat bird with males that can still give me 100% fertility. The mixed tom I have was actually a result of a bbb tom over a palm hen, but I'm not sure what their fertility rate was.

My biggest problem with the bb's is the butchering. While I hate standard bronzes and most other breeds enough to be all too happy to kill them, the bb's are more like puppies. Not easy to kill a bird you've raised for months who comes to greet you everytime they see you. In fact, I have yet to kill one, except the one I accidentally ran over.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I want to band birds, but with the massive variety of sizes, I'd need to buy a pack of every size. From button quail to the monster sized legs of the bb turkeys.

As for ranging the bb's, mine do as well as the royal palm. My hens are only twenty pounds at eight months though. But, that's a lot of meat. My dominant tom is bbb/royal palm. He wouldn't be muchworth eating though. I'm hoping 75% bb and 25% palm will give me a better meat bird with males that can still give me 100% fertility. The mixed tom I have was actually a result of a bbb tom over a palm hen, but I'm not sure what their fertility rate was.

My biggest problem with the bb's is the butchering. While I hate standard bronzes and most other breeds enough to be all too happy to kill them, the bb's are more like puppies. Not easy to kill a bird you've raised for months who comes to greet you everytime they see you. In fact, I have yet to kill one, except the one I accidentally ran over.

I thought about all of the different sizes as well. If you could split an order with someone, that would be good.

 

[kuntrygirl]

What do your turkey brooders look like? Do you have any grow out pens or areas that you put them in once the grow out of the brooder? When do you all put them outside and allow them to touch ground? How do you integrate your young ones with the older ones? You ever have any problems with putting the young ones with the old ones? What's your stories?

Pics of your brooders or housing would be great if you would like to post.

 

[Bettacreek]

Where's the cheapest place for the plastic numbered bandettes? Cutler's only has four sizes. :/ Plus at seven bucks a pack, that's twenty eight, excluding shipping and would only band a few of my birds!

 

[sandspoultry]

We use colored plastic zip ties. You can get a bag for a few dollars of mixed colors. Clear can also be used and they are a little cheaper. If the colored is used just pick a color for the year, if using clear. Right leg - 2013, left leg 2014, both legs 2015, then you could double band for 2016 if you keep breeders that long. Walmart, Lowes and Tractor supply all carry the colored zip ties