Which is the most self sufficient and yummy turkey breed?

[Bubblingbrooks]

Ive heard LOTS of good things about bourbons...

the royals are aparently more flighty/active and can get a good distance on a jump/short flight, whereas the bourbons seem to be a little calmer and heavier/les apt to take off than the royals.

Ha! You should come tell my bourban that bit of news

 

[Ohioann]

Now that I have a couple of heritage turkeys ( slate and bourbon) I can see that raising the midgets are going to be the best, at least for us.
The full size ones, take forever to get to full weight, and eat a lot to get there.

We did keep them with the chickens, but the size difference made for some bad situations for the chickens. They were inadvertently run over all the time, and any time one of the turkeys beat its wings, any chicken in its path, took a sever beating.
We lost on hen due to this

We have raised the Midget Whites for several years. First year we just used the eggs for food, then I got a cabinet incubator and hatched out about 18. Sold some as poults and raised some (spring to late fall). In the fall we had 7 butchered, froze the largest three whole and deboned and froze or canned the meat and broth. Butched birds were 5 hens and 2 toms. Didn't do live weights but processed weights were 11 to 14 pounds. Roasted whole birds are very tender and moist. Canned and frozen meats are good too.
We raise them in a separate pen from the chickens. I like the Midget whites because they are a size I can easily handle, the toms are not aggressive, they are naturally breeding and they are a heritage breed(listed as Critical status by the ALBC). I got my original stock from Sandhill Preservation in Iowa and have two hens from Townline Poultry in western PA. Unlike the large standard breeds these samller birds can FLY. Have had them go over my head when I was attempting to catch them!! Ours are housed in a stall with an outside run and I have chicken wire on the top of the stall so they can't fly into the rafters and the run is also covered.
I would recommend these birds to anyone who wants to raise their own turkeys,
The Holland whites ( Threatened status by ALBC)mentioned in these posts and the Beltsville Small White(Critical status by ALBC) are also smaller naturally breeding turkeys but I don't have any experience with either of these.
I have found in hatching them that turkeys are not as hardy as chicks for the first week or so but then seem to do well. Remember if you want to raise your own you have to have naturally breeding birds. The big commercial birds are too large to successfully breed, they have to have artificial insemination and I for one don't want to go there!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

aint that right, Ohioann! ha!

but

how about this for a strategy -- get some heritage birds (you know i love our bourbon reds) and then get some of the 'creep meat' turkeys - the BBW (broad breasted whites). that way you can get the best of both worlds. next spring you can have your turkey hens' eggs to let them hatch (they are great mommas) or incubate.

and

the BBW's will be ready by the end of summer/fall.

we grow out our BR's 18 months - like BBrooks said.

but ours love to free ranged and would rather be out pickin' at the dirt than eating bagged food.

 

[savingdogs]

I did know you prefered the Bourbon Reds OFG but you know me, I'm always asking the questions why.

The feed store is calling these white birds "wild" however so I'm not sure they are the ones you are referring to. In prior years, this store had great birds for sale but no employees who know very much about them, so this year I was trying to research in advance.

Also, they are on a schedule of when they are to arrive and if I wish I can reserve some. I was glad to see the Bourbon Reds on the list but I'm not sure how the dates will work out, so I was trying to do my "homework".

Last year I was all set on the khaki campbell ducks and ended up coming home with cayuga instead. While I made money on those ducks, I didn't want to come home and THEN do the research again this year on any more poultry.

Hubby really loves to eat turkey but maybe I'll have to talk to him about this being an 18 month project. That means I will have to make winter lodgings or put them in with my other birds. That would mean I could only buy a couple.

 

[jambunny]

I have honestly found it is usually a matter of personal opinion. I love my bourbans but was told I would hate them as they are flighty. Mine are big pets. I am getting some Narrgansets and midget whites this year also just to see what I think. A matter of trial and error I think.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

I didn't want to come home and THEN do the research again this year on any more poultry.

hee hee hee you are so smart! hee hee hee me i just get a bee in my bonnet and off i go! ha!

ok the whys.....

Turkey Steve (Steve of Sands Poultry) did a couple articles about the difference in the breeds...lemme see if I can get him to pitch in here. I wanna say his article was published in Backyard Poultry.

For us, we like the size of the BR's and that they are pretty self sufficient. they are incredibly winter hardy, they are fun and funny, totally interactive, and who could forget how Runner raised a brood of chicken chicks last year!

we also like their regal nature...and the comical way they chase our barncat Shine, when he trots across their yard. and i think they are pretty.

and a nice size for sure. some of our toms/jakes have gotten very big and we've also dressed some smaller ones also.

here are some turkey tips that someone else asked me:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2011/02/fast-talkin-turkey.html

some pix of the BR's and the BBW's and how beautiful they are:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/04/politics-of-gobbling-part-one.html

how big 3 of our toms dressed out and 'how to part up a turkey' - they were HUGE. but not as big as Busters - and a link to Buster's Turk-a-conus Rex:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/04/politics-of-gobbling-part-2-turkey.html

and as jambunny said - mostly its personal choice.

the only problem with turks is that you have to be sure to designate them as food - these big goofy birds can be pretty lovable.

they are also pretty touchy as poults and sometimes flop over dead for no reason. but you'll do great!

 

[sufficientforme]

.

 

[savingdogs]

Well my goodness, I didn't know there was a whole education in turkey just waiting on your blog, OFG, I need to read the whole thing!

I think I'll pre order some of the Bourbon Reds and look around and see if there is anywhere else to get some broad breasted whites. They don't have those ones available at my feed store.

And I think Hubby is going to need to build another enclosure and house.

 

[Buster]

Bourbon Red is the way to go for a balance of size and taste. And a very sustainable breed for the home place.

 

[Buster]

how big 3 of our toms dressed out and 'how to part up a turkey' - they were HUGE. but not as big as Busters - and a link to Buster's Turk-a-conus Rex:
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/04/politics-of-gobbling-part-2-turkey.html

Awwe... thanks OFG. You are too kind.