We are glad we finally purchased a plucker when they were on sale. Wished we had done it eleven years ago when we first started with chickens! Older hens make excellent bone broth - a real treat in our 18 months of eating carnivore and growing a garden for our chickens and ducks!
Looking forward to seeing the turkeys grow on your lovely homestead. I dehydrate/grind turkey breast into a powder to use in place of bread crumbs in meatloaf, salmon patties, and as breading on fried chicken.
We raise American Bresse chickens for both meat and eggs. The roosters are a larger table bird, while the hens are smaller with an excellent feed ratio. They are fantastic foragers too! The roosters are great defenders of the hens, but will not tolerate another rooster in the flock. We have had one hen go broody and successfully raise a brood of chicks once each year. The flavor of the American Bresse is outstanding.
I think Pete you should buy 10-15 Cornish cross meat birds. In perfect conditions they can be processed in 8 weeks and in your freezer. Use the meat birds as a tool to see if you wanna mess with turkeys. Processing is easier. Cleaning is easier. Packing and freezing is easier. If you or the wife struggle or discover growing and processing your own is not for you, you will find it out on meat chickens and not on turkeys. Good luck buddy.
Don’t know much about turkeys but I do know you have to get the process timing right otherwise when you remove the feathers it could be a pain in the butt removing the pin feathers if you wait too long!! And yes I’m saying with the automatic plucker!!
Never raised turkey. 6 wild turkeys (5 female, 1 male) were on my property 1 year (for some reason, loves to poop on my front porch). All 6 flew up 20+ ft to roost on top of a tree. Totally surprised me and it was loud too. I was told that only wild turkeys will fly up that high; domesticated turkeys will not. But, like I said, no experience raising them. Just thought I throw this out there in response to your 6ft garden fence. But, clipping wings should help, like chickens.
Pete, could I ask you how you like your rabbit fence you did some years back? Is it holding up, has it been effective? Would you do it the same way again if you could redo-it over? Thanks so much for your help and thoughts!
@@bryancase7541 if I had to do it again I would use a smaller mesh fence like 1 inch square holes because I occasionally get some small rabbits in there. But the electric wire works great I have had no raccoons in there.
Carnivore here. Raise all my own. Chicken - meat : Delaware Broiler, Cornish Cross Chicken - egg : Black Australorp Rabbit - Californian Goose - American Buff Duck - Muscovy, Pekin Turkey - Bourbon Red Not your typical Ruminants / Ribeye Steak based Carnivore ... but Carnivore nonetheless. It works for me.
Howdy Pete! The only turkeys I have had any experience with were 'Jive Turkeys'... but I don't think that would be much help 😁 When you clip their wings you might consider only doing one side at a time. That keeps them really off balance if they try to fly up over your fence, but not so much they can't roost. Just a thought. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out! Well done and thanks for sharing 🤠
@@lorismitherman8744 we use either the dumor organic pellets or nature's best organic pellets. It's the only thing I can get around here. Thought about buying in bulk but not sure how long it will last before it goes bad. I would have to buy good air tight storage containers for that too.
Try the "Spanish Black" or "Norfolk Black" for here in East Texas it is the only one I will raise. They are very friendly, their flavor is better than any Broad breasted turkey and they don't fly to well. If they get 2 feet off the ground they are going a long distance( 20 feet)......lol. the hens will set their own eggs and are good mothers. They are a heritage breed. But they will eat your vegetation.
@petebeasttexashomesteading mine are like dogs, they follow me all over my property. Also the hawks stay away. They are big enough to intimidate the biggest of birds.
I've only raised a Heritage breed of turkey the Slate. You sound like you want broad breasted meat turkeys. They can't fly as far as i know. Well not much. White will not show pin feathers as much but thats all i know about them.
Make sure the Turkeys get enough copper. Dr. Joel Wallach video talking about lack of copper Thousands of Turkeys were dying from not getting the right amount of copper in their diet, Title of You Tube video. Dr. Wallach speaks on Aneurysms & The Hidden cause
You cant survive off of chicken eggs nor can your dogs cause theres not enough fat but duck eggs have enough fat. I went with Khaki Campbell ducks because of their large priduction of eggs.
@@onehandclapping3094 Chickens get most of their protein from the bugs they eat. That's why we always give them black soldier fly larva or meal worms daily. My two roosters died of some disease or parasitic infection.
I love my turkeys more than I do my chicken fell in love them There sweeter than my chickens. I don’t think I can kill mine I’m going to breed them sell babies I’ve never killed anything. But I know what your talking about. By the way turkey food here in New Mexico there food is really high 38.00 They don’t eat chicken food I’ve only been doing this for a few months I’ve got 8 turkeys right now I’d rather have turkeys than chickens my aren’t laying eggs right now I feel like kicking them to the freezer but like I said before I’m going to have to think of something to do with these chickens. I’m at loss on these chickens. I don’t buy from big box stores I make them tons of food plus vitamins grit nothing this summer last summer I had to many eggs something is going on
We are glad we finally purchased a plucker when they were on sale. Wished we had done it eleven years ago when we first started with chickens! Older hens make excellent bone broth - a real treat in our 18 months of eating carnivore and growing a garden for our chickens and ducks!
Looking forward to seeing the turkeys grow on your lovely homestead. I dehydrate/grind turkey breast into a powder to use in place of bread crumbs in meatloaf, salmon patties, and as breading on fried chicken.
@@CalmCowBell great idea 👍
We raise American Bresse chickens for both meat and eggs. The roosters are a larger table bird, while the hens are smaller with an excellent feed ratio. They are fantastic foragers too! The roosters are great defenders of the hens, but will not tolerate another rooster in the flock. We have had one hen go broody and successfully raise a brood of chicks once each year. The flavor of the American Bresse is outstanding.
Great breed!
Chicken doesn't feed the beast in me.
I raised turkeys loved the narragansett. But for your money I would look at texas a&m white quail.
I think Pete you should buy 10-15 Cornish cross meat birds. In perfect conditions they can be processed in 8 weeks and in your freezer. Use the meat birds as a tool to see if you wanna mess with turkeys. Processing is easier. Cleaning is easier. Packing and freezing is easier. If you or the wife struggle or discover growing and processing your own is not for you, you will find it out on meat chickens and not on turkeys. Good luck buddy.
Thank you for good information so we can have healthy quality eggs. I have friends that use organic feed as well. They were always great.
Don’t know much about turkeys but I do know you have to get the process timing right otherwise when you remove the feathers it could be a pain in the butt removing the pin feathers if you wait too long!! And yes I’m saying with the automatic plucker!!
@@MrRbrgrn thanks for the info 👍
Never raised turkey. 6 wild turkeys (5 female, 1 male) were on my property 1 year (for some reason, loves to poop on my front porch). All 6 flew up 20+ ft to roost on top of a tree. Totally surprised me and it was loud too. I was told that only wild turkeys will fly up that high; domesticated turkeys will not. But, like I said, no experience raising them. Just thought I throw this out there in response to your 6ft garden fence.
But, clipping wings should help, like chickens.
Nah... my domestic turkeys love our civil war era white oaks. Big wide canopy holds all 12 birds...lol.
I have no experience raising turkeys...i bet you could make a plucker machine...i'd watch a video of you building one
Pete, could I ask you how you like your rabbit fence you did some years back? Is it holding up, has it been effective? Would you do it the same way again if you could redo-it over? Thanks so much for your help and thoughts!
@@bryancase7541 if I had to do it again I would use a smaller mesh fence like 1 inch square holes because I occasionally get some small rabbits in there. But the electric wire works great I have had no raccoons in there.
Carnivore here. Raise all my own.
Chicken - meat : Delaware Broiler, Cornish Cross
Chicken - egg : Black Australorp
Rabbit - Californian
Goose - American Buff
Duck - Muscovy, Pekin
Turkey - Bourbon Red
Not your typical Ruminants / Ribeye Steak based Carnivore ... but Carnivore nonetheless.
It works for me.
ProTip : All the meats in The Grinder work better with 4 parts to 1 part bacon.
1/5 (20%) Bacon by weight.
Cheddar Bacon Bunny Burgers for the win!
@@SgtSnausages Thanks for the info 👍
Howdy Pete! The only turkeys I have had any experience with were 'Jive Turkeys'... but I don't think that would be much help 😁 When you clip their wings you might consider only doing one side at a time. That keeps them really off balance if they try to fly up over your fence, but not so much they can't roost. Just a thought. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out! Well done and thanks for sharing 🤠
@@Cowboy_Steve 🙂👍
We have loads of toads this year. Will the chickens eat them too?
@@kathleenboller6651 I guess if they're small enough.
Looking good Pete.. how is your wife liking the Carnivore? Haven’t seen her in awhile. Good luck with your turkeys 🦃
What feed do you use for the chickens
@@lorismitherman8744 we use either the dumor organic pellets or nature's best organic pellets. It's the only thing I can get around here. Thought about buying in bulk but not sure how long it will last before it goes bad. I would have to buy good air tight storage containers for that too.
I never clip there wings because of predators
Try the "Spanish Black" or "Norfolk Black" for here in East Texas it is the only one I will raise. They are very friendly, their flavor is better than any Broad breasted turkey and they don't fly to well. If they get 2 feet off the ground they are going a long distance( 20 feet)......lol. the hens will set their own eggs and are good mothers. They are a heritage breed. But they will eat your vegetation.
Spanish black is the tastiest turkey I have ever eaten.
@@franklandry5864 thanks for the info 👍
@@petebeasttexashomesteading I would send you a picture of them if I had an email address.
@petebeasttexashomesteading mine are like dogs, they follow me all over my property. Also the hawks stay away. They are big enough to intimidate the biggest of birds.
@@franklandry5864 Thanks that's good to know because hawks are my main problem here.
I've only raised a Heritage breed of turkey the Slate. You sound like you want broad breasted meat turkeys. They can't fly as far as i know. Well not much. White will not show pin feathers as much but thats all i know about them.
A friend has turkeys and the eggs are phenomenal. They are NOT free ranged as they are definitely tasty to predators. I don’t know the breed.
🦃 Have a look at Sow the Land and Justin Rhodes re turkeys.
Hybrid meat turkey can reach 20 kg in 4 months, you can process them even earlier if you want
@@vladimirpopovic8136 thanks for the info 👍
Make sure the Turkeys get enough copper. Dr. Joel Wallach video talking about lack of copper Thousands of Turkeys were dying from not getting the right amount of copper in their diet, Title of You Tube video. Dr. Wallach speaks on Aneurysms & The Hidden cause
@@charlescoker7752 thanks for the info 👍
You cant survive off of chicken eggs nor can your dogs cause theres not enough fat but duck eggs have enough fat. I went with Khaki Campbell ducks because of their large priduction of eggs.
@@Redgogrey Thanks for the info 👍
Chickens are omnivores. They need protein. Maybe this is why your chickens are dying young
@@onehandclapping3094 Chickens get most of their protein from the bugs they eat. That's why we always give them black soldier fly larva or meal worms daily. My two roosters died of some disease or parasitic infection.
I love my turkeys more than I do my chicken fell in love them There sweeter than my chickens. I don’t think I can kill mine I’m going to breed them sell babies I’ve never killed anything. But I know what your talking about. By the way turkey food here in New Mexico there food is really high 38.00 They don’t eat chicken food I’ve only been doing this for a few months I’ve got 8 turkeys right now I’d rather have turkeys than chickens my aren’t laying eggs right now I feel like kicking them to the freezer but like I said before I’m going to have to think of something to do with these chickens. I’m at loss on these chickens. I don’t buy from big box stores I make them tons of food plus vitamins grit nothing this summer last summer I had to many eggs something is going on