12x10 Turkey Tractor

[theJonesBoy]

I built this 12x10 tractor using 2x2 lumber and 1x1x36 hardware cloth. Four 7" lawn mower wheels for easy (ish) moving. The roof is 6' high. The 2x2 lumber saves enough weight to make it possible to be pulled on grass using skinny wheels. I will probably change the wheel system next spring.

There were 16 large white commercial turkeys in it until week 13 when one was attacked by the other 15 and had to go to the freezer. They will be processed at 17 weeks.

 

[DLCShark]

Looks good. With that many in there is there no crowding? How often do you have to move it?

 

[theJonesBoy]

I move it twice a day now, have done since they were 12 weeks old. With 16 birds they had 7.5 sqft per bird. Next year I'll probably only put 12 in the tractor.

 

[theJonesBoy]

I ended up with 15 turkeys for processing. Total weight for the 15 birds was 323 lbs. Smallest 16lbs, largest 29.4 lbs, that's pretty good in 17 weeks. Roll on Spring!

 

[DLCShark]

Oh wow that's great! Was that dressed weights?

 

[theJonesBoy]

Oh wow that's great! Was that dressed weights?

Yes that is the dressed "in the freezer" weight.

 

[CoopersTurkeys]

Would a turkey tractor this size be sufficient for 12 heritage turkeys? If not how many do you think could fit in a tractor this size?

 

[theJonesBoy]

Would a turkey tractor this size be sufficient for 12 heritage turkeys? If not how many do you think could fit in a tractor this size?

12 would be fine, but.......... If you are raising heritage turkeys for meat you are looking at 30+ weeks. I can't imagine having to pull my tractor twice a day for 30+ weeks. Summer isn't long enough up here.

 

[CoopersTurkeys]

Sorry I am new to this stuff and slightly confused. Do you mean 30 weeks from hatch or 30 weeks from when they get in the tractor.

 

[theJonesBoy]

That's 30 plus weeks from hatching. I put them out in the tractor at 4 or 5 weeks old.

Here is an example of the difference between Heritage and Commercial. I got my Heritage birds the same week as my Commercial meat birds. At 17 weeks the meat birds were processed weighing from 16 lbs to 29 lbs. The males are the heaviest. The week after (18 weeks) one of my heritage birds was killed by its brothers. He weighed 14 lbs, so if he had been processed he would only of weighed about 11 lbs in the freezer. To get a heritage turkey to full potential it will take more than 30 weeks. But if you only want a 13 lb bird on the table maybe 25 weeks will do it.

Heritage birds develop bone structure first then put on weight/meat. Commercial birds get meatie from a very early age.

We are having one of the turkeys today, it's Canadian Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how it tasted.