What turkey is best for me?

[jjdward]

I have chickens and ducks right now and I"m fixing to get geese. I would love to round out my collection with a few turks.

What breed is the best for being calm and docile? I have no problem of dressing one and eating it but that is not my reason for getting a turkey. Is there a breed like this? Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[luvarabhorses]

My friend has a nice Naragansett tom. My blue slate tom is not so nice. My blue slate hens are wonderful and pretty.
Here is my friends Naragansett helping out hatching the hens eggs

My blue slate Esmerelda

 

[Old McDonald 27]

I'm definitely not a turkey expert, but my royal palms are very friendly!

 

[SandyC]

I have three Royal Palm hens. They are big babies!!!! Besides being very social, they follow me around and will sit and watch and keep me company when I do yard work or walk with me when I take walks around my property. If you want more, they were all very broody and two of them nested together and hatched a baby chick for me when my son stuck some under them! They provide me with hours of entertainment and like to look into the house from my porch window as though they want me to come out and play. I don't know if most Royal Palms are like this or it I just lucked out.

 

[chickenlittle32]

I have a bb chocolate hen that is the sweetest thing...out bronze tom is a sweetheart as well, likes to eat out of our hands...my royal palm hen is more stand-offish. Just depends on the bird I guess. LOL Good luck with what ever you choose!

 

[jjdward]

My feed store has two bb bronze poults for 7.95 each. Should I get them? They are a little over a week old. What do ya think?

 

[luvarabhorses]

I had one and she got so huge that she had problems walking around. She'd have to rest all of the time. She finally died of a heart attack.
If it is just for a pet, I would get a heritage breed. Hopefully other people can be more positive about it.

 

[saddina]

BB have shorter lifespans, so if it's a pet and not a dinner bird, it's not going to be what you want. I've not had my own turkeys yet, but granny had a few.

 

[jjdward]

Thats kinda what I thought.

I know next to nothing about turkeys and the different breeds so I will need all the help I can get.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Our most calm are the White Hollands by far.

The Bourbon Reds the most curious

Midgets are friendly but not as curious as the BR's

Beltsvilles are standoffish

Royal palms are semi friendly and pretty calm as well

Standard Bronze are calm and very large

Steve in NC