Thanksgiving Turkeys?

 

Turkeys were kind of a last minute decision this year. Originally, I was just going to order a few meat chickens for family use this year, but the next available date that the hatchery had was at the end of May. One thing to know about meat chickens is that they do not get along well with the rising temperatures that June and July bring. Instead of risking having meat chickens die from exposure, I decided to try my hand at turkeys this year. 

The first 4 turkeys were bought on April 14th along with the replacement layer chicks. The breed that the hatchery had available at at the time were 'Broad Breasted Black,' which is a completely black turkey that will end up looking like your standard thanksgiving turkey when processed. The second breed of turkey that was just purchased on May 5th was the 'Broad Breasted Bronze,' which grows slightly faster than the B.B.Black turkey. In total, we now have 14 turkeys, which hopefully should grow to about 15 lbs per bird by mid-September! That's a big turkey! 

What are some differences between raising turkeys versus chickens? 

Perhaps the biggest difference when rearing turkeys compared to chickens is that turkey poults (baby turkeys) require 24% protein feed versus 18% protein feed for chicks for their first few weeks of life. If these were wild turkeys, they would be getting their protein from bugs and high protein grasses instead of grain. One other difference that I immediately noticed about the turkeys was that they appear much more fragile and lethargic during their first few days. Chicks on the other hand, are up and running, flying, and jumping from day one! In the five weeks that I've had the turkey's, I have noticed that they are much more friendly and curious than the chicks. They tend to be very "inquisitive" of their environment, and are always first in line for food! 

What are the plans for these turkeys? 

These turkeys will be a test-run for both cut-up and whole turkey for Thanksgiving/Christmas, or, in the case of the cut-up portions, for turkey drumsticks, thighs, breasts, and soup/stock bones. I hope to offer both options at an affordable and competitive price to other free-range turkeys on the market, and one goal in particular is to produce a turkey that has excellent taste and consistent moisture (eating "dry" turkey is no fun!). This test-run will be a great learning experience and the best part is that this experience can be shared through these weekly newsletters! 

Stay tuned for more about the turkeys!