Which should I get?

[SarahFair]

Im pretty new to Turkeys. ...like super new...
aside from some light reading here on BYC and a little on the internet I dont know anything about breeds.

I would like something that is not aggressive, not flighty (cant get over a 5' fence), not HUGE that will take forever to reach butchering age, and anything else I should be considering?

What I have seen most available in my area are:
Bronze
Royal Palms
Red Bourbons


Also...
What is a fair price for young poults?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Any of the heritage breeds can clear a five foot fence at least when they are young.

The Broad Breasted Whites and Bronzes do get huge and don't often live very long once they reach maturity. They can't fly much though.

So you've got something of a conflict here.

In my experience aggression has more to do with the individual than the breed. And most of that is during the mating season. I keep White Midgets and none of my toms are aggressive. The broody hens can be a mite irritable which makes a pair of leather gloves a good thing if you don't want to get bitten.

The hatcheries seem to be getting nine to ten dollars apiece for poults this year though it's getting kind of late for some of them.

.....Alan.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

We raise all 3. They are all good layers and will sit and raise poults.

The Bronze are huge, our toms are waist high on me but for their size they are super gentle and easy going. Some of the hens are hardheaded, they wanted to roost on top the range roost and it took a long time to break them of that. Now that they have more size on them they stay off. A mature tom will go 35 pounds plus the hens 20 +. They are nice table birds but it does take them longer to fill out.

The Bourbons are "mid sized" and very very curious birds, they are calm and friendly. Toms are 25 to 30 pounds the hens in the upper teens. The BR is the best tasting of the 3.

The Palms are the smallest and when they are young they kind be kind of flighty. The Palms have never really been bred for meat so they don't fill out as much as the others.

Price wise we charge $10 a poult.

Steve

 

[SarahFair]

Can you clip/trim their wings to keep them from flying?

 

[OmaBird]

I have all breeds of turkeys. 99% heritage breeds. Some people eat heritage turkeys at 6 months. I think it takes at least 18 months to have the best tasting turkey you will ever eat. My husband does not let us eat them. The size has alot to do with the breeder that they came from than the breed itself. Some of my largest turkeys are Palms. See my blue palm tom. Palms should be the smallest breed. They are not normaly what you would eat. They are the pretty birds just to look at. I have also seen lots of small bronze turkeys that should be the big ones. Porters Rare Heritage Turkey website will tell you what size they should be for that color breed. http://www.porterturkeys.com/ It does not mean they will be that size. I don't notice much difference in the breeds as far as personality and temperment. I have great ones in all breeds. I have only had very few turkeys that have ever gotten mean. That seems to be there first breeding season (young dumb boys). They out grow it. My hens have all been great, even with poults on there side. It might be how they are raised. Mine are free ranged and where raised as poults with lots of human handling in my home. Sometimes I think I have spoiled them to much. They can fly. I have a big fenced yard. None have ever flown over the fence unless they are chased by something (like a loose dog). The hens can fly a football field if they need too. I did have some turkeys that liked to roost on my patio cover and roof top at night. Even in the snow it was hard to break that habit. I clipped the wings and they still managed to get up there. I had to pen them up in my barn until they learned where to sleep. My turkeys never wander far from my house unless they are sneaking off to lay a egg. Most of mine do lay in my barn with the chickens.

 

[arabianequine]

I heard bourbon reds were the best tasting too....and price $8-$12 for poults is about what people charge across the US as far as I have seen private sales and hatchery's. I have narragansetts.

Good luck!

 

[OmaBird]

For eating I would also think about the Jersey Buffs and White Hollands. A Buff is just a black based turkey with two red genes added. They have nearly white pinfeathers. The Bourbon Red is a bronze with two red genes(b+b+rr) with darker pinfeathers.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I think the Midget Whites are the best tasting followed by the Bourbon Reds. The Americian Livestock Breeds Conservancy did a blind taste test a few years ago and the Midget ranked #1 followed by the Bourbon. I forget how the others placed but I do remember a store bought Butter Ball placed last

Steve

 

[bargain]

Sarah, we are not very far from you and just about to sell some poults!

I love our Royal Palms! and we also have some Jersey Buffs and Bourbons.

I need to talk with hubby and see which poults he presently has available for sale.

We'd love to help you if you'd like to pick them up and sell their lineage at the same time. Please pm me if you're interested.
There are some pictures here http://thegarryfarm.webs.com/apps/photos/category?id=629876
There are more photos when you click the birds.

Pm me if you'd like more info.

Have a blessed day. Nancy (Also, If you decide to hatch your own eggs, it's not too late and we have some for sales as well.)