[Oliveview]

Just reading your ´banner´ about your Christmas turkeys-  what age is the best to cull the turkey ready for the table?  Our 2 are getting bigger suddenly- no where near eating weight though.  We give them pellets, but have no idea if they are for putting on weight.  The food place had just one lot of pellets for turkeys.
What is the best way to weigh a live bird too?  When they were new to us I put them in a carrier bag and put them on the kitchen scales- they are too big and flappy for that now.
Pamela

[kimT]

You may find this useful.

http://www.johnwrightturkeys.co.uk/quality.asp

[Flowerpower136]

Just reading your ´banner´ about your Christmas turkeys-  what age is the best to cull the turkey ready for the table?  Our 2 are getting bigger suddenly- no where near eating weight though.  We give them pellets, but have no idea if they are for putting on weight.  The food place had just one lot of pellets for turkeys.
What is the best way to weigh a live bird too?  When they were new to us I put them in a carrier bag and put them on the kitchen scales- they are too big and flappy for that now.
Pamela

Weigh yourself, then get back on holding them.  It's the only way I get weigh the dog, though it is very distressing process for me to see how much I weigh

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Pamela, sorry this is the first time I've got on today!

When they are culled, our turkeys are usually 20-22 weeks old, could go a bit more, but the older they get the tougher they are!

Brian will do ours the 15th December onwards until the 19th.  Then hang for a week in a nice cool place.  Do you have a nice cool place over there???  They are gutted at the last minute as they start to deteriorate fast once gutted.

Ours are on turkey rearer at the moment, then for the last month Brian will put them onto turkey finisher, which helps put on more weight and hasn't got any medication in.  I don't know what the stuff is you get either!! 

I hope they do okay for you.  You'll have to let us know what they taste like after Christmas!!!

Hope this helps   

[Oliveview]

Weigh yourself, then get back on holding them.  It's the only way I get weigh the dog, though it is very distressing process for me to see how much I weigh
[/quote]

OK as long as Jim isn´t standing behind me watching the scales go up

I will go and try to read the label on the sack of food at the food supply place.
The birds have taken to flying to the roof of their ´house´ that is with their wings clipped   One gets very ´annoyed´ if I get close to her (I think it is a female) she displays her feathers and hisses at me.  I´ll try to post another photo of them so you can possibly tell me what sex they are Ann!
Pamela

[SMD66]

Are they for Christmas or just any time when they are ready?
If they are for Christmas it's just pot luck, whatever size they have got to by then will be the size you eat!