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How long does it take to raise a turkey for slaughter?
Modern production methods have shortened the time it takes for turkeys to reach maturity. A hen usually takes 14 weeks and weighs 15.5 pounds when processed, but a tom takes roughly 18 weeks to reach a market weight of 38 pounds.
What is the best turkey to raise for meat?
Midget White is the most popular heritage breed for its meat taste and easiness to raise. Blue Slate: Toms weigh about 23 pounds, hens about 14 pounds. Blue Slates have great taste, they’re also easy to raise because they tend to have fewer problems. Bourbon Red: Toms weigh about 30 pounds, hens about 12-14 pounds.
How much does it cost to raise a meat turkey?
The total cost came to approximately $1.20 per pound. This price was based on pastured birds raised with a conventional meat producer feed. At the time, I was paying from $14.99 to $16.99 per 50 pound bag of feed.
Is it profitable to raise turkeys?
Raising turkeys for profit is no small feat. It requires ingenuity, hard work, and some marketing skills to make it all come together. But if you can produce a quality bird and people can taste the difference between your hard work and the meat purchased from a local chain market, they’ll come back every year.
When should I start raising Thanksgiving turkeys?
Most turkey breeds will mature between 14-22 weeks of age, which means you will need to purchase birds early in July to make sure they have enough time to grow. Heritage breeds will take a bit longer, 25-30 weeks, so those birds would need to be purchased in late May or early June.
How long do turkeys live for?
Turkey/Lifespan.
What do you feed a turkey before butchering?
It is generally recommended that you use turkey starter diets for the first four weeks. A turkey grower diet typically has 26% protein. Note that chicken starter and grower diets are too low in protein, and turkeys fed these diets will have reduced growth performance.
How much does a 14 pound turkey cost?
Turkey prices: $1.09 per pound for frozen, whole Butterball premium turkeys (typically 10 to 14 pounds) $1.59 per pound for frozen, whole Honeysuckle White young turkey breast (typically 3 to 8 pounds)Nov 14, 2020.
What do you feed turkeys before slaughter?
Rape and alfalfa, as well as lettuce, cabbage, and most any other garden greens, all provide good food for turkeys. As much as 25 percent of the ration can be greens, which can enable you to compete price-wise with the commercial grower.
Are Butterball turkeys pasture raised?
This Certified Humane farm raises organic American Bronze and Royal Palms turkeys on pasture with ample shelter for resting. This environment allows the birds to express their natural behaviors.
Are pasture raised turkeys better?
Pasture-raised turkey is healthier. Several studies have shown that eating pasture-raised meat is healthier than conventional, and the same holds true for poultry.
How much do turkey farmers make a year?
Salary Recap The average pay for a Turkey Farmer is $31,176 a year and $15 an hour in the United States. The average salary range for a Turkey Farmer is between $24,231 and $36,758.
Do turkeys need a coop?
If you plan to raise your turkeys from poults, then the answer to “Do turkeys need a coop?” is a resounding yes. Once the poults outgrow their brooder, they will need a secure coop at night, just like any other type of poultry.
How much do turkey farmers make per turkey?
“While poultry growers take all the risk of production, they are receiving just 5 to 6 cents per pound for turkeys and chickens.
Can you keep chickens and turkeys together?
One of the main ways to keep turkeys healthy is too NOT raise chickens and turkeys together. When turkeys and chickens are raised together, turkeys run a high risk of contracting the disease histomoniasis, also known as blackhead.
How much land does a turkey need?
Turkeys are social creatures, so plan on raising at least two. They are bigger birds than chickens and thus more space is required. You’ll need a minimum of 25 square feet of outdoor space per bird for them to exercise, with predator-proof fencing on all sides, as well as overhead.
What should you not feed turkeys?
Things That Are Toxic To Turkeys Blue-Green Algae. Botulism. Cantharidiasis (Blister Beetle Poisoning) Cedar. Hardware Disease. Lead Toxicity. Mycotoxins. Pesticides, Herbicides, And Rodenticides.
Where do turkeys go in the winter?
Snow gets too deep to scratch through for food. After heavy snows, turkeys can remain in trees for days. They fast or move from tree to tree eating a marginal diet of buds. If turkeys spot a heavily used deer trail on the ground below, they sometimes descend for brief foraging bouts where the ground is accessible.
How do you keep a pet turkey?
A turkey needs more than a coop and a little nesting box. Instead, you should house them in a large shed, a recycled dog house, or a small barn. The more space that you give them to roost and wander, the healthier and happier they will be. The other major con of owning a turkey as a pet includes their feeding habits.
