Keeping a broad-breasted bronze turkey as a pet

[bock]

Hi everyone! So here's the story, 2/24/11, we got two standard Bronze turkeys along with our 25 chicks. One of the poults was week from the start, and unfortunately passed away.

Now, the remaining poult is 2 1/2 weeks old and lives with the chicks. We decided it would be best to get the turkey a friend, but the only turkeys we can find are broad-breasted bronze at the local feed and seed. Would I be able to keep the broad-breasted turkey a a pet, or would s/he just get too large and potentially have health issues? Is it kind of like trying to keep a Cornish x chicken as a pet? Thanks ahead of time for the advice!

 

[sourland]

I have a friend who had a broad breasted bronze gobbler as a pet. He was a very neat bird, but could not handle the heat very well. He died of a heart attack at 2+ years. I think they are relatively short lived--but am not certain of that fact.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Broad brested are born to be eaten at 4-6 months. Some people have kept them a few years but it really depends on the turkey and how well you limit its feed but they will have trouble and die much sooner than a heritage bird.

 

[jmtrestle]

My bronze tom is 2 1/2 years old. The previous owner said that he has had them live 8 yrs. Mine gets along just fine,..even flies up to a 5 ft. perch,....

 

[bock]

Thanks everyone, maybe it isn't such a good idea. I cannot find anyone around here willing to sell me 1 or 2 heritage poults.

The turkey we have now seems to do well with the chicks. Could one turkey live with the chickens, or would problems arise?

 

[jmtrestle]

I'm not a turkey person, just have the one, but so far, I'm hoping he will do good with my egg layers. I think once he establishes himself, he will stop trying to break their necks. He had just figured out how to get up to the chicken feeding area and once he figured that out, he decided to grab their necks to teach them to stay away. It worked! Within 2 days, he ran all of my chickens off their perch. So now, the neck thing just happens when one of the chickens gets bold and steps back in. He hasn't killed one and he may not, it might just be a warning. When I give bread, I spread it out all over so that no one goes without and they all get along then. It's just when they are in very close quarters.
To me, I decided that one tom would be much better than a tom and a hen. A tom I would guess would work much harder to protect his hen.....hens also fly much better and I didn't want them getting out....maybe someone else here might have some more experienced help....

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
A bronze is different than a broad breasted bronze. A bronze will live 8, 10 or even 12 years, a BBB will not.

 

[jmtrestle]

Colby, do they look different? I didn't know there was a difference!! Thanks for pointing that out...

 

[bock]

I would be especially worried about the heat as well. It commonly gets to 120 plus degrees here in summer.
I will keep an eye out for heritage poults on CL.
If we do just keep the poult we have now, I am going to have to re-size the chicken door.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
Their colors are pretty much the same but a BBB is huge and ready to butcher at 4-6 months old where a bronze is still stoo small.