Pastured Turkey Meat Raising Tips

[shedinator]

Do you raise turkeys for meat in a tractor or similar setup? If so, what's your routine for raising good sized, healthy birds?

I raised 3 BBWs with my meat chickens this year (and then on their own after the meaties were processed), and it went pretty well. 0 percent mortality, even! I think it could've gone better, though. Specifically, our 18 weeks butchered turkeys - all toms - averaged a 12 lb carcass. I wasn't expecting feed lot sizes, but I kinda figured we'd get at least a 15 lb bird.

I'm thinking next year I'll start earlier so I can butcher at the weight I want. I'll also put them in their own tractor rather than mingling with meat chickens, and give more access to food. What other suggestions would you make?

I'm also hoping my Narries actually hatch eggs next spring, but I don't expect those to be ready in a few months.

 

[Geena]

Do you raise turkeys for meat in a tractor or similar setup? If so, what's your routine for raising good sized, healthy birds?

I raised 3 BBWs with my meat chickens this year (and then on their own after the meaties were processed), and it went pretty well. 0 percent mortality, even! I think it could've gone better, though. Specifically, our 18 weeks butchered turkeys - all toms - averaged a 12 lb carcass. I wasn't expecting feed lot sizes, but I kinda figured we'd get at least a 15 lb bird.

I'm thinking next year I'll start earlier so I can butcher at the weight I want. I'll also put them in their own tractor rather than mingling with meat chickens, and give more access to food. What other suggestions would you make?

I'm also hoping my Narries actually hatch eggs next spring, but I don't expect those to be ready in a few months.

I also raised three BBWs in with my second batch of meat chickens this year. My meat birds have a coop and pasture to themselves. All three turned out to be toms and were just shy of 40lbs when we butchered them at 20 weeks, 25+ lbs processed. 12 lbs sounds more like heritage turkeys. Are you sure they were BBWs?Did you have toms or hens? What did you feed them?

 

[Molpet]

my heritage toms were 12 1/2lbs at 6 months
my bbb tom at 6 months was 22lbs
both weights were dressed

 

[shedinator]

I also raised three BBWs in with my second batch of meat chickens this year. My meat birds have a coop and pasture to themselves. All three turned out to be toms and were just shy of 40lbs when we butchered them at 20 weeks, 25+ lbs processed. 12 lbs sounds more like heritage turkeys. Are you sure they were BBWs?Did you have toms or hens? What did you feed them?

They were toms. I bought bbws from a place that doesn't sell heritage, so it's possible there was a mixup but I don't think it's likely.

Feed was 28% game bird ration in the brooder (weeks 1-6), 22% meat bird ration weeks 7-16, and finished on high protein because I had some left. Our meat chickens were going through food a little too quickly at 6 weeks, so we cut down access to 6 hours/day through week 10. Chickens finished at an average 5 lbs, which was our target, so I don't think it was a failure of management... But those 4 weeks super restricted are about the only thing I can point to. They definitely ate the amount of food the hatcheries said they would weeks 1-6 and 11-18. Just didn't convert it into meat.

 

[ShannonR]

They were toms. I bought bbws from a place that doesn't sell heritage, so it's possible there was a mixup but I don't think it's likely.

Feed was 28% game bird ration in the brooder (weeks 1-6), 22% meat bird ration weeks 7-16, and finished on high protein because I had some left. Our meat chickens were going through food a little too quickly at 6 weeks, so we cut down access to 6 hours/day through week 10. Chickens finished at an average 5 lbs, which was our target, so I don't think it was a failure of management... But those 4 weeks super restricted are about the only thing I can point to. They definitely ate the amount of food the hatcheries said they would weeks 1-6 and 11-18. Just didn't convert it into meat.

Coccidiosis prevention may help, it can stunt growth. Turkeys are much more prone to it than chickens, for whatever reason. If you really did have the broad breasted variety, I would be looking at pathogen infection. Raising them off the ground for the first little while can help immensely.

 

[ShannonR]

Also I agree that raising them separate from the chickens is a great idea. All in all, you did good for your first time!

 

[mandelyn]

We grew out 9 between two different tractors, from our Heritage groups of Bourbon Red and Narragansett. Final dress weights between 5/6 months old was 9-11lbs. We're pondering doing a batch of BBW next year.

These are the tractors we built, they moved really easy with the big never-flat tires we used! Roosts are up under the tarp. The picture shows it with extra cockerels in it from before the Turkeys were old enough to go in.

We opted for full walk-in height and a decent sized front door to make catching them easier.

 

[shedinator]

We grew out 9 between two different tractors, from our Heritage groups of Bourbon Red and Narragansett. Final dress weights between 5/6 months old was 9-11lbs. We're pondering doing a batch of BBW next year.

These are the tractors we built, they moved really easy with the big never-flat tires we used! Roosts are up under the tarp. The picture shows it with extra cockerels in it from before the Turkeys were old enough to go in.

We opted for full walk-in height and a decent sized front door to make catching them easier.

View attachment 1616487 View attachment 1616488

I've got my Narragansett breeding trio in a hoop coop on wheels as well. Works great.

 

[Geena]

so I don't think it was a failure of management....

That's pretty much the same way I raise them. I never free feed my meat birds, they get fed morning and evening, so I wouldn't think the month of restricted feed was the problem. I've raised a lot of turkeys, but these were my first BBWs. I still think you may have somehow gotten hertiage turkeys, my heritage toms have been 12 to 16 lbs at 20 weeks. Do you have any pictures of them?

 

[shedinator]

That's pretty much the same way I raise them. I never free feed my meat birds, they get fed morning and evening, so I wouldn't think the month of restricted feed was the problem. I've raised a lot of turkeys, but these were my first BBWs. I still think you may have somehow gotten hertiage turkeys, my heritage toms have been 12 to 16 lbs at 20 weeks. Do you have any pictures of them?

This was one of them before and after on processing day (18 weeks). We were contemplating saving them for Christmas, but he got beaten up by his two cohorts that week - you can see some bruising on his head and damage to his left middle toe - so we went ahead and processed before any serious damage was done.