[kegs]

A few questions please.

Is it too late to raise a couple of turkeys for Christmas (I would want to incubate them rather than buy poults)?

What would give the best flavour?

How much room would 2 turkeys need and if I regularly worm them would they be ok in a run with 4 hybrids?

What size shed would they need?

How should turkeys be dispatched? (I've got a wall mounted dispatcher but think this might be too small for a turkey?)

I think that's it and as you can tell I'm a complete novice!    So if there's anything important I've missed off please let me know.

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Kegs, we are picking up our day olds at the end of this month, but they sell day olds right up until September.

5 months is the ideal age to cull them for C********* !!

You don't worm the turkeys, but keep the chickens well wormed.  Chickens can pass on black head to the turkeys.  Can you not keep them separate?  I do know a couple of people who keep both together, but your husbandry has to be really good to avoid the blackhead.

We've never kept ours together.

As to the wall dispatcher.  It is like my one. It is strong enough for a turkey, but would be best if you have 2 people doing it.  One wielding the dispatcher handle the other holding the turkey still.  Pillow case comes in handy to help stop the wings flapping, as boy, do they flap!  And they hurt!

When you bring the handle down sharp, give it an extra push and you will hear the neck break.  If in doubt, keep the handle down and pull the turkey's neck out a little and upward.  

I did that once to make sure as I was worried I may not have killed it properly.

as to room.  they need at least 1sq metre each in the coop and at least 3sq metres of run each, but more if you can manage it.  They will also fly over a 6ft fence given the chance!

[kegs]

Thank you, as always. 

Any advice on breed etc.  I might be able to get either some Bronze turkey eggs or some Pied Crollwitzer, and haven't a clue which to go for.

[GrannieAnnie]

Go for the bronze!

The pied things are not eating birds unless you live on your own!  A young lady down the road brought hers up for Brian to cull and gut for her!  Pretty birds, but..........


We've had heavier chickens! 

[kegs]

Yep    I'm sure one of my Hubbards was bigger (wasn't meant to be though  ).

Brian certainly did a wonderful job with those birds - ours never look that good.

Thanks again for the invaluable advice.

[ANHBUC]

Thanks for this post kegs very interesting and thanks for sharing your knowledge GrannieAnnie.

I wonder if one of my bantams could sit on a couple of turkey eggs! 

[splash101]

A wall dispatcher!
I had to google that one. How handy that would have been / would be.

ANHBUC, im sure i read that someone had a bantam hatch a goose egg earlier this year, so you never know ......

[GrannieAnnie]

ANHBUC, I don't see why not.  I don't think turkey eggs are that big, especially if there were only 2 or 3 eggs.  Not like you are asking her to sit on an ostrich egg!   

If I remember rightly, those Crollweitzer turkeys weighed about 2.5kgs dead weight!

Now THIS is Christmas Dinner, although it was a white one not a bronze.

[kegs]

Wow - now that's more like it.

If you had a choice Grannie which would you choose from the following:

Bourbon Red,  Bronze,  Buff,  Harvey Spotted,  Narragansett,  Norfolk Black and  Pied.

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm no turkey expert Kegs, we only have our turkey poults from Kelly's which are the Whites or the Kelly Bronze.  The are bred for their size and the flavour of the Kelly bronze, which are actually black, is better.

But, from my limited knowledge.  I'd go for the Norfolk black first, then the bronze,  The Narrangansetts are supposed to taste lovely, but like a lot of the others you mentioned, they are a slower growing traditional bird, so you won't get the size.

[kegs]

Perfect.  Thank you. 

[ANHBUC]

Thanks for that, will have to try and source some eggs locally.  Hopefully one of my bantams will go broody shortly.  If not will have to find an alternative source for C******** dinner.

How much will you be fined for mentioning the C word in full at the beginning of July GrannieAnnie?!! 

[kegs]

     :blink:

There's a fine???

[GrannieAnnie]

Very hefty fine! lol  Ice tried to forbid the use of the 'C' word until midnight on 24th December, but that one didn't get many votes!!!      

Knowing Ice, I'll probably get into trouble for showing a photo of turkeys too!   

[kegs]

Crumbs, if it's per word I'm in trouble as it's already been mentioned 19 times so far since I put it in the title.....oops..... 20

quick someone lock this thread.....