I am not sure when or why it all started, but a few years ago, I got this wild idea in my head that I wanted to raise a few turkeys of our very own to add to the Thanksgiving table.
How romantic, right?
Purchase $7 day old turkeys, bring them home, spend a ton of money on a ton of organic feed, raise them up, cull them, and eat them.
OK, so not super romantic. But real, involved, intentional, and fulfilling.
Now, I’ve not ever been around turkeys ever before, let alone have I ever raised them, so this wild idea of mine was truly wild. It was also just an idea while we were living in the city. I mean, really, who wants a big ol’ fat turkey running around their neighborhood?!
However, when we made our break from the city last fall, this wild idea of mine came back to the forefront of my imagination and began feeling like a real possibility! And when we moved to our current home, it was one of the first items on our to-do list (the fact that our landlord raised turkeys here for years and having the coop set up as such helped).
And so, about week after moving, while picking up some chicken feed, I was asked by the cashier if I wanted to buy their last four turkeys.
Then, I was told they weren’t sure they’d get more in this spring because they’re so hard to sell in the the city.
So, of course I rode home with four chirping turkeys in a box on the passenger seat.
Now, do I know what I’m doing with these turkeys? Not really.
Am I intimidated by how large they’ll get? A little.
Am I looking forward to the “harvesting” process? Hell no.
Do I worry about the neighborhood coyotes devouring my precious turkeys? Every.single.night.
Am I beside myself with excitement at the idea of serving our very own turkey at Thanksgiving? Absolutely!
I mean, really, how stinkin’ cool is that???
But it gets even cooler because we’re not just raising our four (plus two…wait for it…), we’re also raising several others for a couple of friends who think it’s super cool, too! And it gets even cooler than that because, in trade for us taking care of the birds and ensuring their safety, and happy upbringing, they are purchasing all of the feed for all of the turkeys. Pretty nifty trade off, ha?
They will also help us with the culling process…especially since one of them has prior turkey culling experience and we have zero experience!
Yeah…we’re all pretty happy!
And, Newbie that I am to all of this, I’m very much enjoying and looking forward to the continuous changes these little guys will go through as they grow. I love watching their feathers change and listening to their funny calls.
Alright, wild ideas and romantic notions aside, here are a few of the details on how the process will all break down.
Broad-Breasted Bronze
- We got our first four from the Feed Bin in Santa Fe in the first week of April when they were just a couple of days old.
- These turkeys are a favorite among those looking to raise their Thanksgiving dinner due to their rapid growth and large breast size.
- At maturity, the average Tom weighs in at 38 pounds, while a hen will weigh in at 20 pounds. Taking into consideration the loss of 15-20% of live weight at processing we could wind up with anywhere from 64 to 120 pounds of meat from our four birds.
- Looking at the calendar, these four will enjoy the summer with us before needing to be be culled in August.
Bourbon Red
- These eight turkeys were purchased from the feed store in Espanola in the first week of May.
- Being a heritage breed, they are favored for their exquisite taste, but grow much slower than their Broad Breasted coop mates.
- At maturity, the average Tom weighs in at 23 pounds, while a hen will weigh in at 14 pounds. Taking into consideration the loss of 15-20% of live weight at processing, we could wind up with anywhere from 88 to 144 pounds of meat from our eight birds.
Now, while that sounds like a lot of meat, you have to remember that these birds are being shared between three families. Each of our two friends will wind up with three each, and we will have six…as long as they all survive.
Stay tuned! I’m taking pictures constantly and am very excited to share each breeds growth right along side our steep learning curve here 🙂
Curious about raising turkeys, the debate of heritage vs. non, or the deliciousness of it all? Maybe just want to hear some different perspectives? Me, too! Here’s some of what I’ve found in my research.
- Basic Heritage turkey information from the Livestock Conservancy.
- The Farmstead shares their decision making process on which heritage breed to raise here.
- The Self Sufficient Home Acre talks all about their turkey raising experiences here.
- Here’s NW Edible’s take on whether or not a heritage turkey is worth the cost for your Thanksgiving table.
- You can read a bit about Timber Creek Farm’s turkey keeping experiences here and here.
Now it’s your turn! Please share your experiences raising turkeys in the comments below. Which breed(s) did you raise? Favorite breed for personality type or meat flavor? Any funny stories to tell about their antics? I’d love to hear it all 🙂
xoxo,
M
