Here are some common snacks often offered to turkeys:
- Watermelon This is an excellent summertime treat to offer your turkeys as it can help keep them hydrated even on the...
- Apples Most turkeys love apples and will enjoy pecking at them cubed or sliced. Seeds should be removed if possible, but...
- Peas This is probably going to be the table scrap your turkeys enjoy the...
What do heritage turkeys like to forage?
Heritage turkeys like to forage for a lot of their own grub, cleaning up pests around the homestead. They don’t need as much feed as ‘Broad Breasted’ (BB) turkeys. You will need to feed the breeding stock year-round, however.
What is the best food for turkeys?
For adult turkeys, you can use a 16 – 20% protein feed. Most feed companies are, once again, going to brand this as a game bird feed. Gamebird and Turkey are pretty much interchangeable when it comes to commercially available feeds. This food will be the staple of your turkey’s diet for the rest of it’s life.
What kind of care do heritage breed turkeys need?
Heritage breed turkeys require extra care when you confine them, whether in the brooder or when using a pen for mating and brooding using a turkey hen. These birds have very sensitive lungs and are prone to respiratory problems in confined spaces. In particular, turkeys are sensitive to ammonia levels lower than our human noses can perceive.
Should you raise heritage breed turkeys?
Even if it costs a bit more, and takes a while longer to get to processing weight, raising heritage breed turkeys is a noble activity for well-prepared homesteaders.
How much feed does a heritage turkey eat?
The heritage breed turkeys will eat 73 pounds of feed over a 28 week period. Poults start out at just over a half pound of feed eaten for the entire first two weeks and gradually increases to each bird eating over a half a pound per day!
How long do heritage turkeys take to mature?
around 28 weeksThey grow at a moderate rate – reaching market weight, between 10 and 28 pounds, in around 28 weeks – which allows their bodies time to develop properly. Heritage Turkeys yield a lot less white meat.
Are heritage turkeys worth the money?
We are purveyors of naturally raised heritage turkeys, and it will come as no surprise that we feel they are worth every penny. The dozens of chefs and customers who've told us that ours was the best-tasting turkey they'd ever eaten would likely agree.
Can heritage turkeys survive in the wild?
Heritage breed turkeys, like their wild relatives, have a natural tendency to cover large areas when foraging. If they are not confined, they can even cover miles like their wild counterparts and become lost to the wilderness.
Should I brine my heritage turkey?
Brining the turkey: I do not advise brining heritage turkeys. My own brining theory is to apply brine to secondary poultry — birds that have no flavor. Brine introduces water and salt into the flesh of the bird.
Do heritage turkeys need a coop?
If you plan to raise your turkeys from poults, then the answer to “Do turkeys need a coop?” is a resounding yes. Once the poults outgrow their brooder, they will need a secure coop at night, just like any other type of poultry.
What is special about a heritage turkey?
They have proportionally smaller breasts, darker leg meat, and are generally gamier in flavor than industrially raised turkeys. Heritage birds are also older than conventional birds at the age of slaughter (26-28 weeks compared to 14-18 weeks), which results in sturdier meat.
How long do heritage turkeys live?
2. Long productive outdoor lifespan: the Heritage Turkey must have a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 5-7 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years. The Heritage Turkey must also have a genetic ability to withstand the environmental rigors of outdoor production systems.
What is the difference between heritage and heirloom turkey?
According to the Heritage Turkey Foundation, Diestel's Heirloom birds are bred from the Broad Breasted Bronze variety, an older variety but not a heritage breed, which the HTF describes as, “essentially a [Broad Breasted] White, but with brown feathers.” This makes the Diestel Heirlooms, “actually an organically raised ...
At what age do heritage turkeys start laying eggs?
5 to 6 monthsHeritage Breeds These turkeys become sexually mature at 5 to 6 months of age and females will lay an egg every other day in the spring and early summer beginning at 6 or 7 months old.
What age do you butcher heritage turkeys?
Butchering, Processing, And Cooking Turkey With that being said, at 16-22 weeks they should be weighing at around 12-14 pounds. A heritage breed turkey will mature at 25-30 weeks. So when you have determined they have reached the appropriate weight, you will pull your turkeys out and butcher them.
What age do heritage turkeys lay eggs?
Turkey hens begin laying later than chicken hens. She won't begin laying until she is about 8 months old. She also won't lay as often as chickens do. Heritage breed hens will lay an egg every 3-5 days.
What age do you butcher heritage turkeys?
Butchering, Processing, And Cooking Turkey With that being said, at 16-22 weeks they should be weighing at around 12-14 pounds. A heritage breed turkey will mature at 25-30 weeks. So when you have determined they have reached the appropriate weight, you will pull your turkeys out and butcher them.
How old does a turkey have to be to eat?
The best age to butcher a Broad Breasted Turkey is 16-20 weeks, for heritage breed turkeys it's 24-28 weeks.
How long do heritage turkeys live for?
2. Long productive outdoor lifespan: the Heritage Turkey must have a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 5-7 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years. The Heritage Turkey must also have a genetic ability to withstand the environmental rigors of outdoor production systems.
What is the best turkey to raise for meat?
Many small flock owners raise commercial-type turkeys because of their high breast meat yield, fast growth, and high feed efficiency. The most popular varieties for small flock production are the commercial varieties Broad-Breasted Bronze (also called Bronze) and Broad-Breasted White (also called Large White).
What do turkeys eat?
In the wild turkeys eat insects, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, plants, and small vertebrate animals. Acorns are a particular favorite during the wintertime when other food sources are scarce. Wild turkeys will use their feet, like chickens do, to scratch up worms, snails, and seeds to the surface.
What to feed a turkey to fatten it up?
This can come in the form of a starter or grower feed. For fattening up a turkey, using a 30% protein gamebird feed will likely give the best results.
Why are turkeys considered commercial birds?
Because turkeys (and chickens) are commercial birds, turkey growers and universities have put millions of dollars into research to ensure that they grow strong and healthy. For meat birds, rations are typically formulated so they grow to their maximum potential but not so fast as to cause issues with their health.
How to get turkeys to be more friendly?
Feeding your turkey treats by hand is a great way to get your birds to become more friendly and used to you. They will learn that not only do you not hurt them, coming close to you usually means they get some kind of yummy treat!
When to start feeding chickens a low protein diet?
At around 5 weeks of age you can start feeding a lower protein feed. Typically, this type of feed is found in feed stores called a “grower” feed. Traditional chick starter (the kind sold for chickens) also has this protein level if you are unable to find a turkey or game bird specific product at your feed store.
When can turkeys start eating game bird feed?
At about 13 weeks or so, your turkeys can start eating a regular turkey or game bird feed. At this stage, you can start feeding a lower percentage protein. As far as commercial poultry feeds go, typically the lower the total percentage protein in the feed, the less expensive it is.
What to feed a turkey to gain weight?
Consider adding corn and oats to your turkey’s diet in larger quantities. Corn is especially good for weight gain but typically results in birds putting on fat and not muscle. Even so, it is good to offer different types of food to encourage the bird to eat more.
How much protein should I feed my heritage turkey?
Protein levels of 28-30% are best. Estimates on how much feed you need per bird range from about 3 pounds to 6 pounds for every pound of meat to get birds to processing size. I feed free choice rather than flash feeding for heritage turkeys. They tend to eat small amounts many times a day by natural habit.
What makes a turkey a heritage breed?
For example, heritage breed turkeys still follow the seasonal patterns relating to mating. 1. Seasonal Laying and Broody Behavior.
How long can a turkey stay on a homestead?
On small homesteads, it might not be possible to allow 14 weeks of separation, so 8-12 weeks is the general recommendation. Ideally, turkeys under four weeks of age should not be placed on pasture that has been inhabited by other turkeys unless the pasture has been vacant for at least 21 days.
Why do commercial turkeys gain weight?
Heritage breed turkeys though, gain weight slowly because they are very active birds.
Why do heritage breeds matter?
Why Heritage Breeds Matter. First off, it tastes better. Whether it be the eggs, meat, or milk of a heritage breed animal , the products we harvest take longer to develop and are therefore more flavorful and nutrient-rich than products rushed for commercial production .
How big can a heritage turkey fly?
Since heritage breeds grow larger than wild turkeys, their ability to fly is also limited by their size. Mature wild turkeys can easily fly 25-30 feet to escape predators. Mature heritage breed toms, on the other hand, can often only fly a few feet.
How long does it take for a heritage turkey to have a leathery neck?
With turkeys, particularly heritage toms raised for 16-20 weeks tend to have leathery necks. Even with a sharp knife, it can be tricky to get a good bleeding cut from a hanging position. So, I know lots of processors who have stories about heritage breed turkey kills going wrong.
How much do heritage turkeys eat?
The heritage breed turkeys will eat 73 pounds of feed over a 28 week period. Poults start out at just over a half pound of feed eaten for the entire first two weeks and gradually increases to each bird eating over a half a pound per day! Heritage Turkey Age. (in weeks) Total Pounds Of Feed. (per poult for 2 weeks) Daily Pounds Of Feed.
What is the best feed for a turkey?
Turkeys need high protein feed. Start your turkey poults out on a 28% protein feed. Ideally, you’ll be able to find a feed made specifically for turkeys, but that’s not always the case. We always use game bird starter, then game bird grower for turkeys.
How much does a poult eat?
A day old poult eats nearly nothing, .04 pounds of feed per day per poult. Compare that to a 20 week old broad breasted tom eating 1.3 pounds of feed per day! By 14 weeks toms are eating 30% more than hens and by 20 weeks toms are eating more than twice as much as hens!
How much feed should a 20 week old hen eat?
A 20 week old tom will have eaten 101.72 pounds of feed and be 36 pounds, yielding a 28.8 pound carcass. Hens at 20 weeks will have eaten 64.37 pounds of feed and be 24.14 pounds live, which will yield a 19.31 pound carcass.
How much should a 16 week old turkey eat?
Your turkeys will eat 64 pounds of feed by 16 weeks. At 16 weeks old your broad breasted turkeys will have eaten 64 pounds of feed each for toms and nearly 46 pounds of feed each for hens. These 16 week old toms will weigh 25 pounds, yielding a 20 pound carcass.
How much food do turkeys eat per day?
If these turkeys are getting 50% of their diet from pasture, they are actually eating .93 pounds of food per day, with only .62 pounds of that food being the turkey feed you gave them.
What is the feed to gain ratio for turkeys?
As the turkey gets older, closer to butchering weight, the feed to gain ratio goes up to 2.8 to 1. This feed to gain ratio is for turkeys that are kept in a roomy pen, but not free range. If your turkeys can do a lot of roaming around, that takes extra energy, which takes more feed.
What is heritage turkey?
“Heritage” is defined as a breed of turkey that has remained pure throughout many generations, with a continued focus on flavor instead of size. They’re completely different from Butterball and other commercially-raised turkey breeds, which have been bred to produce the maximum amount of breast meat in as short a time possible.
Do you pay more for heritage turkey?
When you buy a heritage turkey, you will pay more — especially when some supermarkets offer Butterballs FOR FREE with a purchase over a certain amount at holiday times — but you are getting a more flavorful, healthier product and probably buying directly from a farmer (or in the case of Heritage Food USA, from a small distributor). Think about adjusting for this by serving less turkey per person and “beefing” up on sides. Everyone’s in it for the sides anyway.
Is Butterball turkey humane?
In 2014, Butterball announced that its turkeys were American Humane Certified, but as animal welfare labels go, it’s not a very strong or meaningful one. If you truly care about animal welfare, a heritage bird is a better option. Some producers’ heritage birds will also have certifications, such as Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane, etc. You can learn more about all poultry labels in our Food Label Guide.
Why do turkey poults need to be fed?
Turkey poults need proper nutrition early on to boost their immune system. Turkey poults grow more quickly than chicks, and because of this, they need feed with a higher protein content than chick starter. I feed a 30% game bird starter to our poults for the first six weeks.
How long do Heritage turkeys produce eggs?
Heritage turkeys provide not only a source of meat; they also produce delicious eggs for about six months out of the year and provide beauty and a never-ending source of entertainment.
Why are turkeys white?
Broad-breasted turkeys cannot reproduce naturally because they have been selected for abnormally large breast size, hindering reproduction.
How much hatch rate can a momma turkey have?
When the conditions are right, and if you have a good momma turkey, you can expect up to a 90% hatch rate from natural brooding.
Do turkeys need a nest?
Turkeys don’t need anything fancy, but I recommend providing a separate nesting area, with a door that can be closed at night, to keep the soon to be momma turkey and her little ones safe. Be sure to provide a soft nesting material to minimize the chances that eggs will break during the 28-day brooding period.
Do turkeys go broody?
It’s not uncommon for turkey hens to go broody in unsafe areas for raising poults, such as out in the relative open where a predator can easily find them. Sometimes they’ll go broody under the coop where it would be difficult for you to check on them. We have a small coop that we leave vacant most of the year except when raising poults. Turkeys don’t need anything fancy, but I recommend providing a separate nesting area, with a door that can be closed at night, to keep the soon to be momma turkey and her little ones safe. Be sure to provide a soft nesting material to minimize the chances that eggs will break during the 28-day brooding period. There will usually be some breakage, so give your broody turkey a few more eggs than you are hoping to hatch, just in case.
How to keep turkey eggs from laying?
You may take the eggs and put them under a broody chicken hen or in an incubator to encourage turkey hens to continue laying. Heritage turkeys are more likely to fly short distances to escape pens, so give them extra space and clip the flight feathers on one wing to help contain them.
What is a medium turkey?
They are medium to large turkeys of a striking black color with a greenish sheen. This breed was developed in Europe from turkeys brought back by early explorers. Early colonists in America used these birds in developing the Bronze Standard, Narragansett, and Slate breeds. Fast growth.
Why are narragansetts my favorite breed?
The Narragansetts were my favorite heritage breed for a small homestead because they got along well with my other birds. They were docile to raise and the hens go broody. In the future, I hope to raise the Midget White breed.
What is a midget white turkey?
This is a small white turkey developed in the 1950s from crosses between the Royal Palm and commercial white turkeys.
Where did the Narragansett turkey originate?
The Narragansett turkey hails from the Narragansett Bay area of Rhode Island. It originated in the 1600s from crosses between wild turkeys and domestic turkeys brought from Europe. They have markings similar to the Standard Bronze.
What is a royal palm turkey?
Royal Palm Turkey. Royal Palm turkeys are one of the most attractive turkey breeds, with a striking pattern of light and dark feathers. They are a medium-small breed that is generally raised for their ornamental appearance. They originated from a mixed flock of turkeys in Florida in the 1920s. Mainly an ornamental breed.
What is a narragansett turkey?
The Narragansett turkey is a large bird that was favored for meat production before the development of heavier breeds. Calm temperament. Good egg production. Fine flavored meat but less breast meat than some breeds. Active forager and somewhat flighty.
