Turkeys?

[chix4smokin]

I'm going to do one big batch of chickens in the spring. But i want to do some turkeys when they are done. My question is i guess do the broad breasted white and broad breasted bronze grow at the same rate? I'm assuming that the white are similar to the cornish cross as far as growth rate (am i correct)? Also i raise my cornish cross in tractors. actually they are dog kennels that i put skids on. I want to put the turkeys in them and let them free range during the day. Will they free range as my hens do? thanks for your input its appreciated!!!!

 

[mmwb]

I've not raised those breeds. I've raised Wersherds, Slates, and Idaho snows. They are all probably a bit hardier than the breeds you are looking at and a bit smaller. I would go with the hardier, slightly smaller breeds over the larger less hardy ones. We let our turkeys free range along with the chickens. They shared the coop too. That is often not recommended, but we never had problems with it.

 

[pdpatch]

Q: My question is i guess do the broad breasted white and broad breasted bronze grow at the same rate?
A: Great Whites and BB Bronze have about the same growth rate. About 20 weeks till butcher, That is the time till the cost of feed to weight ratio is about the best. But
not the same as Cornish Cross.


Q: I want to put the turkeys in them and let them free range during the day
A: Yes, Most turkey's love to eat fresh grass and bugs, but Great whites and BB bronze seem to like doing that less. I would say about like the Cornish, Cross.

Tom

 

[Buster52]

BBWs are excellent foragers, although not quite as good as heritage breeds, but still better than chickens. All turkeys are. They are very tough birds once you get them past the critical first 8 weeks. Tractoring them works well at least when they are past that 8 weeks but still relatively small. Keep an eye on their size and don't let them grow to be monsters.

Feed conversion for a broad breasted breed is about 3 to 1.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I would have to say they forage very well, they are 10 times more aggressive than even layer chickens. I raise the BB Whites but they are processed before they are too big, usually at 20 weeks or less when they are still very active. However they still forage just as good as any heritage turkey I've seen, they go sometimes 400-500 yards away from their home if you let them. I would assume if you didn't feed them everyday they would just keep on foraging until they are long gone.... Here are some pics of them in the back pasture and some like to venture in the woods in search of bugs. I have to say, for the best bang for your buck.. these turkeys do it all... lots of meat... great foragers.... good feed conversion... mild flavor ( not to strong)... and most importantly they are fool proof in the kitchen!

 

[chix4smokin]

Thanks for answering all of my questions guys. Now for one more, will they need a roost or do they sleep on the ground?

 

[Bring]

from what i've seen of my neighbors turkeys, they find their own roost. Over there they roost on top of the chicken coop, in the tree or even on the roof of the house.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
I'm building one of these before spring...

They forage fine, but I raised them side by side with my heritage birds and watched all of them carefully. I just didn't find they foraged as aggressively as the heritage breeds. Which makes sense. These things are factory farm birds and have been bred to be raised in confinement houses. Genetics like that wouldn't exactly make them predisposed to foraging. Still, they do very well, and their feed conversion rate more than makes up for what they may lack by comparison in that area. They are good birds, but do have their strengths and weaknesses.

I will not be raising them again, but understand completely why someone would want to do so. It's Bourbon Reds for me from now on.