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Western Canada Poultry Swap » Discussions » Advice Needed » Turkey Breeds

Turkey Breeds

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call ducks
Fowler
BriarwoodPoultry
Nom_de_Plume
DCChick
9 posters

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1Turkey Breeds Empty Turkey Breeds Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:13 pm

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

I have some questions about commercial white turkeys. A friend thinks she can rescue a couple from a co-worker who is going to butcher them and wants to keep them here as pets. I would like a couple of turkey just because, but I don't know if these are the ones. First are they like meat chickens with all the growth problems and shortened life sans? Also, I do not have a separate coop for them, they 'd have to live with the chickens and I don't know if that's the best arrangement. Finally, how cold hardy are they?

2Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:58 pm

Nom_de_Plume

Nom_de_Plume
Active Member
Active Member

It's not a good idea to raise turkeys with chickens past the chicken (chick) stage. Turkeys are susceptible to something called black head which is actually a parasite called Histomonas meleagridis. In most cases, outbreaks of black head are caused by growing chickens and turkeys in close proximity, the chickens may have it but are not affected by it.
as far as whites as pets, they're great fun, I have 150 that follow me all the way around the yard while I do my other chores.
If you don't want them to blow up you need to really restrict their food as they are selectively bred to grow quickly (about twice the speed of a bronze) They will also get to be twice the size easy if you don't scale back their food to something low protein.
*edit to add*
Forgot about the cold hardy, I grow mine up until xmas outside

3Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:39 pm

BriarwoodPoultry

BriarwoodPoultry
Addicted Member
Addicted Member

I do keep mine with chickens their whole life, and haven't had any problems. However, I have only kept heritage turkeys with chickens. We only had 'meat turkeys' once and it was horrible, so we've grown heritage turkeys as pets and for thanksgiving from then on. If the turkeys in question are nearing slaughter age I would not go for it - they have already been raised on the "high speed growth" method and will be prone to joint and heart issues.

Good luck Smile

http://briarwoodpoultry.weebly.com

4Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sat Oct 01, 2011 6:00 am

Nom_de_Plume

Nom_de_Plume
Active Member
Active Member

Agree, depending on how old these turkeys are most likely the damage has been done as far as fed too much and going to blow up (self destruct)
Here is a little more on Blackhead as it can affect all turkeys not just the whites.

http://www.helium.com/items/1356131-blackhead-disease-in-poultry
A small excerpt from the above link....
Turkey poults are tricky to raise, as a rule. Diseases make that job even more difficult. Blackhead is a disease that can wipe out 80- to 100-percent of a flock of young turkeys within days. Sometimes, but not always, characterized by the darkening of the poult's head, the disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called Histomonas carried by hair-like Heterakis gallinarum worms. Chickens are the most common carriers of the worm, which lives in the large intestine. However, chickens are less often sickened by blackhead, perhaps suffering a 10-percent or smaller loss in a flock. The worm's infested eggs, passed in a chicken's feces, are ingested by young turkey poults hunting and pecking for food on soil that has been contaminated by those feces. Blackhead can cause such severe losses in turkey operations that it is recommended they not even be raised on the same farm as chickens. Even if the chickens and turkeys are not raised together, infected soil can be carried from one flock to another on a worker's shoes.<snip>

5Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:47 am

Fowler

Fowler
Golden Member
Golden Member

If they were hens, they would probably be fine. The commercial white toms get so big that I would expect more health problems from them.

6Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:01 pm

call ducks

call ducks
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

Nope,

No not at all, "resuing" them would not help them. I would teller her let the coworker kill them off. I have raised Market Turkeys. No matter what sex they well get fat. A hen wighs about 22 pounds dead. All i raise are the hens.

7Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:59 pm

Nom_de_Plume

Nom_de_Plume
Active Member
Active Member

call ducks wrote:Nope,

No not at all, "resuing" them would not help them. I would teller her let the coworker kill them off. I have raised Market Turkeys. No matter what sex they well get fat. A hen wighs about 22 pounds dead. All i raise are the hens.
Hen's will get much bigger than that.
But I agree, give a pass on these, if you'd like to try some whites, start them from scratch.

8Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:03 pm

call ducks

call ducks
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

Nom_de_Plume wrote:
call ducks wrote:Nope,

No not at all, "resuing" them would not help them. I would teller her let the coworker kill them off. I have raised Market Turkeys. No matter what sex they well get fat. A hen wighs about 22 pounds dead. All i raise are the hens.
Hen's will get much bigger than that.
But I agree, give a pass on these, if you'd like to try some whites, start them from scratch.

Not much bigger. Well the way i feed them Razz ( give them little feed and lots of free rangeing) Live weight rangs for me from 25-30 with the smallest being 22 dead weight. largest 25.

9Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:19 pm

Prairie Chick

Prairie Chick
Golden Member
Golden Member

I have a pet commercial turkey, she is 2 1/2 yrs old and cruises all over the farm. She does just fine, even with the chickens. I say if its a hen and she wants to rescue them, then go ahead. Very Happy

10Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:30 pm

Nom_de_Plume

Nom_de_Plume
Active Member
Active Member

call ducks wrote:

Not much bigger. Well the way i feed them Razz ( give them little feed and lots of free rangeing) Live weight rangs for me from 25-30 with the smallest being 22 dead weight. largest 25.
Yes most likely the way you're growing them, which is way more the correct way to grow anything. Free range is the best!
I've processed white hens dressing out at near 40lbs so alive they'd have been closer to 53 lbs. Toms don't even get me started on those, I've seen 75lb toms dressing out at around 50lbs.
Although I do see a lot more turkeys than your average person. I grow 300ish whites a year and process around 5-6000

11Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:37 pm

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

I have decided to let these turkeys go to the fate they were destined Wink although I suspect the rescuer has a couple hidden in her backyard in the city. I really would like to get a couple of pet turkeys in the spring, but a heritage breed.

12Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:57 pm

Hidden River

Hidden River
Golden Member
Golden Member

DC if you want pet turkeys I have some young ones available right now, they are bourbon red and blue slate, you could easily tame them down and they would be life long pets for you. My daughter tamed down a bronze turkey baby 2 years ago and she is still a very affectionate bird to my daughter, doesn't like the new dog much but loves my girls.

http://www.hiddenriverranch.weebly.com

13Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:35 pm

Grandma Art

Grandma Art
Active Member
Active Member

DCChick wrote:I have decided to let these turkeys go to the fate they were destined Wink although I suspect the rescuer has a couple hidden in her backyard in the city. I really would like to get a couple of pet turkeys in the spring, but a heritage breed.

I should have some in the spring.... all colors and breeds hopefully...... will start hatching as soon as they start laying. gotta love them little fuzzy poults. I have some young ones in the brooder house also... I just have to put the eggs in the incubator for some reason. Rolling Eyes

http://www.sheltiesalberta.com

14Turkey Breeds Empty Turkeys as pets Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:51 am

turkeylurkey


Active Member
Active Member

The commercial white turkeys tend to be skittish. I'd recommend a Bronze strain but I also have heard there are other heritage breeds that are tame. If the turkeys in question are already well advanced in age and raised in a larger flock, they likely will just be large noise makers.

As far a blackhead is an issue - Once they get beyond the poult stage they seem to be fairly immune. A few of us are comparing notes on natural product cures and controls including the use of diatomaceous earth, cayenne, and even red hot peppers. Watch for future posts on recommendations.

My flock is mixed turkey, chickens, and ducks. The neighbour's peacocks frequently interact but until this year blackhead has not been prevalent.

http://www.guppy.ca

15Turkey Breeds Empty Re: Turkey Breeds Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:58 pm

DCChick

DCChick
Full Time Member
Full Time Member

Thank you Hidden and Grandma Art. I will be in touch with one or both of you in the spring. I'm not going to add any new animals over the winter.

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