# The Great Turkey Experiment



## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

I thought it would be fun to try raising turkeys this year so we ordered three and gave it a go .... well 21 weeks later .... we took our turkeys in for butchering. Tom dressed out at 42.6 lbs. Hen1 was 26 lbs and Hen2 was 24lbs. All that is left if stage 3 ... eating!!! :clap:


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

Wow, that's a lot of turkey! Have fun with stage 3


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

What did you feed them. I have five turkeys out in my pasture. I am going to try to hatch some in the spring. This year none of the eggs were fertile. I have a different tom now.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Planning a big Thanksgiving?
We bought 5 turkeys a few years back. We figured a few would die but they all grew up. This was Thanksgiving dinner that year. (He dressed out at 46 lbs.)
We only have three this year. They are a heritage breed so if we end up with both sexes we hope to breed them.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

holy jeepers those are huge turkeys!!! I'm ordering a free range heritage turkey from a local farmer for Thanksgiving. I'm really hoping she'll be less than 15lbs. doesn't look like it though....

how do you cook a 45lb turkey? will it even fit in an oven??


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

LOL - those broad-breasted turkeys can become so huge that they can't walk, and it happens FAST, too.
I had a friend whose BB tom dressed out at over 60 lbs. He ended up quartering it in order to get it into the oven.

My pencilled turkeys are tiny by comparison - not much bigger than a very large wild turkey. They are quite friendly, but the girls in particular have an independent streak and they like to hide their nests in weird places, only to show up later with yet _another_ new batch of babies! *sigh*
Infertility is definitely not a problem with these gals, despite them being inbred for the last 14 years.

I rarely eat them, although I have done it a few times and they are quite tasty. The meat is very fine-grained and has more flavor that store-bought turkey.
Their main use is to provide unusual feathers for crafts and fly-tying, though, so I have selected for color and good feather quality rather than size.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we raised Rio grande...a small bird in comparison for sure...but whenwe did get one that was huge...we parted him out...so we had legs, breast and wings seperate then we kept the carcass for soups...I just picked up a Slate tom and two hens to raise...after selling off my turkeys we missed having them out there..: )


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I'm thinking about getting midget turkeys.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Uh yeah, is there a midget turkey? I always wanted to raise a couple but geeze! I don't know what I'd do with all that meat. Whenever I buy a turkey I tried to find one under 15#'s. I know those are hens, but are they just butchered at a younger age? What happens to the boy turkeys? Do they turn into turkey hotdogs?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yeah, the Midget White Turkeys mature around 15 lbs for males and 10 for females.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

There is also the Jersey Buff that is smaller.


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## LoriH (Jan 12, 2014)

We should have butchered earlier but we were new to the whole thing and then schedules got in the way too. We took Tom to a butcher in town and he is going to be separated and then de-boned and then made into turkey roasts. I am anxious to try them.

Our thanksgiving is Oct 13 so we don't have long to wait.


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