Are Heritage Turkeys Really Better

Turkeys, in my opinion, are some of the easiest animals to raise and overwinter, although I’m not going to claim they are the smartest animals. I’ve owned Broad-breasted Whites, Narragansett, Bourbon Reds, and some mixed heritage breeds, in varying degrees of success. I’m now in year 4 of being a proud turkey owner.  The question is for many people just starting out raising turkeys is, what breeds should you buy? Well, it depends on why you want the turkeys in the first place. Are you wanting some meat on your table for Thanksgiving and Christmas and that’s it? Are you wanting to breed turkeys or add some character to your poultry flock? Do you have a large field and want some free-range birds or do you only have a small space for a few birds? These questions will determine what type of turkey is right for your homestead. So let’s look at the two main types of turkeys, commercial broad-breasted and heritage breeds.

 

Broad-breasted Whites or Bronzes:

These are your classic, commercial breed, Thanksgiving Turkeys that you buy in the store. They have been bred for fast growth and rapid weight gain, primarily in the breast muscles, Toms/males can weigh up to 30lbs in as little as 5 months. Because of their rapid growth, Broad-breasted turkeys eat a lot of food, mostly pellets, are not as adept as foraging as heritage breeds, and they also cannot reproduce on their own but have to be artificially inseminated. Broad-breasted growth is so rapid if you don’t feed them the correct protein ratio their tendon will slip loose of the knee-joint and you will have to cull them, the problem is not fixable once it happens. On a positive note, Broad-breasts are very docile turkeys and don’t require a lot of space, they are also poor flyers which is a bonus because you don’t need an aviary net to keep them contained.  Bottom line, if your goal with owning turkeys is to raise as much meat as possible without overwintering your turkeys, then broad breasted might be the bird for you, you can’t argue the with the amount of meat that these birds dress down to, and you are guaranteed an impressive Thanksgiving Turkey.

Heritage Breeds:

Unlike commercial breeds, heritage turkeys do not get very big their first year. Butchered weight after 5 months, at least for my birds was a max of 10lbs (Toms) and 7lbs (Hens), and their breast meat was more proportional to a layer chicken. Unlike commercial breeds, heritage breeds are adapt foragers (think free range-chickens), can reproduce on their own, and lay really, really, tasty eggs. They also are amazingly easy to overwinter, they require much fewer pellets and as far as I can tell, very little water, at least in cool temperatures.  My birds didn’t even use their house I provided from them, choosing to roost out in the open snow in temperatures as low as -40F!  I think the biggest downside of these breeds, aside from their small size, is they can fly! I mean really good, from about 3.5 months on. They like to fly high at night to roost and then they’ll fly down in the morning. A friend told me her family used to raise heritage breeds as a business and use herding dogs to round them up in the morning. So if you don’t have the ability for free-ranging in a huge field I’d strongly recommend an aviary net over their pen, otherwise, they are open game for any predator in the area.

Bourbon Reds

 

Bourbon Red turkeys are one of my favorite breeds. Docile and calm they are very active foragers. Bourbon Reds are a popular choice for any backyard or pasture production. They are capable mothers and fairly prolific layers. They have brownish to dark red plumage with white flight and tail feathers. A standard weight for Bourbon Reds is 25 pounds for young toms and 18 pounds for young hens

 

Narragansett Turkey

 

Narragansett turkeys have traditionally been known for their calm disposition, good maternal abilities, fast maturity, egg production, and excellent meat quality. The Narragansett color pattern contains black, gray, tan, and white. A standard weight for young toms is  22 – 28 lbs and 12-16 for young hens. The Narragansett turkey would make a useful and beautiful addition to the family farm.

 

American Bronze Turkey

 

The Bronze has been the most popular turkey variety for most of American history. It originated from crosses between the domestic turkeys brought by European colonists to the Americas and the eastern wild turkeys they found upon their arrival. Naturally mating and long-lived the Bronze is an excellent variety for someone looking for quick growth and fast maturity. The Bronze variety is stately and imposing in appearance. The standard weight for young toms is 25 pounds and for young hens is 16 pounds.

Other varieties include Royal Palm, The Jersey Buff, Slate Turkey, and White Holland.

So it’s up to you. Why are you wanting turkeys, for eating, because they provide tasty eggs, or maybe you like the unique flavor that free-range turkeys can provide? Decide how much room you have, if you want to overwinter birds, breed them etc., and then make your choice.

Let me know what you decide and why?