We generally buy 1-2 turkey chicks each spring to raise up for the holidays. Otherwise, they consume more feed than they’re worth unless you plan on breeding them. Our preference up to this point has definitely been the toms. Not just because they get bigger, but because the tom turkeys have been curious and friendly verses the one female, we ended up with was very flighty and skittish. However, the toms can get aggressive as they mature (mainly with the other critters on the farm) but that’s also about slaughter time. Here’s a rundown on some of the common turkey breeds you may find in your area . . .
**FINALLY, A Smart Coop For Chickens (CLICK HERE)**
White & Bronze Broad Breasted (Toms 30-45 lbs, Hens 18-25 lbs)
Broad breasted turkeys are the largest breed you can get. In fact, they get so large that they cannot breed naturally and must be artificially inseminated in order to reproduce. The white ones in particular are used for industrial/commercial production as they get big fast and make for a cleaner looking carcass than the bronze variety. I’d only recommend this breed if your aim is a lot of meat at the end of the year as once these guys near full size their health can be a struggle. We owned two of them, appropriately name “Christmas” and “Thanksgiving”. They were our first turkeys we ever got and were fun to raise. Our favorite one, Christmas, ended up with a hurt foot and got to where he did not want to leave the coop to free range. I had to bring him food and water because it was too painful for him to walk. So, he was the first to go, making for a 40 lb carcass after gutting and de-feathering. Thanksgiving became aggressive and met his end a couple months later. Not everybody likes the meat from this breed. In my opinion the meat was fine, but my husband found it rather rubbery and stringy.
Heritage Breeds
The remaining breeds are considered heritage breeds. They tend to have better tasting meat, can breed naturally, and are a more appropriate size for the average family.
Bronze (Toms 25-30 lbs, Hens 15-19 lbs)
Bronze turkeys are similar to the broad breasted bronze turkeys other than they are smaller and capable of reproducing naturally.
Bourbon (Toms 25-35 lbs, Hens 16-20 lbs)
Bourbon turkeys have beautiful red and white feathers and are thought to have some of the best tasting meat. The toms are decently sized birds for the dinner table.
Black (Toms 23-33 lbs, Hens 14-18 lbs)
Domesticated from Mexican wild Turkeys, Black turkeys are a popular meat bird known for their fast growth.
Royal Palm (Toms 16-20 lbs, Hens 10-12 lbs)
Royal Palms are a bit on the small side and are more so considered to be an ornamental bird with their white and black coloring. Their size makes them very good flyers and foragers. The hen we had, which was about the size of a large chicken, was able to fly up on top of our sheds and trailer.
Blue Slate (Toms 23-33 lbs, Hens 14-18 lbs)
These are beautiful birds that come in different color variations from light grey (lavender) to blue to pure black. Some of the blues even have splashes of black on their feathers. There’s a little confusion as to where this breed actually came from, but they are known to be hardy and have good tasting meat.
Narragansett (Toms 23-28, Hens 14-16)
The Narragansett is said to be a cross between back and wild turkeys. They look similar to the bronze turkey and mature early.
So Which Breed Is Best?
Honestly, it comes down to how much meat you want on the table or if you have a color preference. All the breeds we’ve tried up to this point, I would rotate through and try again. Except for maybe the Royal Palm as they are a bit too small for the dinner table and are best kept for ornamental purposes.
Recommended Products (clickable)
