Meat turkeys

Livo1964 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:03 pm **Posts:** 60

I have some bronze turkeys that I intended to grow for meat. They get pellets and free range during the day. The tom is now over a year old and looks huge but when you feel his breast muscle it is about half the size of a turkey you would buy in a shop. Is there a specific breed that is for meat?

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

Yes you need a specific meat strain of Turkey. The regular backyard strains don't have much meat on them.

The full-on commercial meat birds however are rather extreme in their growth and as a result can suffer from joint problems and the males require artificial insemination to fertilise the hens.

There are a few breeders on here that have birds that are a more moderate meat strain. Soozorps is one. I'm working on producing a meat strain of lavender palms and am half way there. I have palm patterned poults that are split for lavender. Next year I should have the first meat-strain lavender palms!

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Hi – yes Andrew I do have nice RP looking meat birds dont I :-D

just a 'few' tickets on one's self here

the males even aged 2 3 & 4yrs can still mate naturally – Meat Sandwich [Turkey Sandwich’s son] is also a grandpa now :-D

The grandsons are about 2 weeks away from being fathers as well [hopefully] = bit hard to candle a turkey egg without the right equipment AND with a savage chook sitting on them :roll:

Most look RP, some are White with the odd Black from the 2 black girls

Andrew - how are those ones I sent you going? Haven’t forgotten you – the girls just aren’t laying well enough atm! Rotten stupid weather!
And I want a few young on the ground 1st of course
May have to send birds up next year instead?

Andrew is developing Lav RP with meat in them and I am developing Blue RP with meat in them also a Show Blue RP strain - both going slowly [as to be expected] and until they breed true none will be released
Don’t forget I'm first with the hand up for some of those Lav :-D

the transporters are so good these days getting birds sent is no longer a problem :-D

# sorry that this sounds like an advert for Andrew and me = it isnt = just letting Livo1964 some of what is 'out there'

Livo1964 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:03 pm **Posts:** 60

It might be a stupid question but I new to this website. Are you guys from Australia? I'm in NSW so I would love to buy some eggs. Also, what does RP mean? Thanks, Darren

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Yes we are in OZ

And my apologies :oops:

= RP means Royal Palm
Eggs can be sent by anyone with spares who KNOWS how to pack them properly for the trip – this has been covered well in other posts =
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=2086

But I cant/wont send atm due to being broody dependant this year [incubator broke] and needing some on the ground myself first – also Andrew gets first lot sent

And you have to be aware of the heat = I never send eggs during the heat = they are 99% of time destroyed along the way [half cooked]
happy to send some later tho

Livo1964 · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:03 pm **Posts:** 60

Thanks Sue. Let me know later if you have some.

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

no worries = will do

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

In spite of it being overcast for weeks and weeks now, my turkeys are still laying pretty well. I've just about hatched enough for my use, so if you'd like some eggs just PM me.

I'm getting white, black and bronze poults from the Lavender male x current hens laying. The palm hen is not laying.

The Lavender has the recessive lavender gene (only found in Australia apparently) not the blue/slate gene they talk about in the USA.

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

andrewschooks wrote:

I'm getting white, black and bronze poults from the Lavender male x current hens laying. The palm hen is not laying.

The Lavender has the recessive lavender gene (only found in Australia apparently) not the blue/slate gene they talk about in the USA.

Bronze is what most meat strains revert back to without diligence on the part of the owner of the fowl and even then you occasionally get a throw back – last year we only got one bronze [it is Christmas dinner] [no smilie for YUM] and a fox got a number of the RP looking ones when not far off being POL [smilie=a_furious.gif]

so that and the incubator dying put us on the back foot this year – never mind next year is right around the corner [smilie=a_biggrin.gif]

The recessive Lav gene – yes I believe it does only exist here in OZ

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