We have 19 new babies. Turkeys that is. O Wise One hatched them in the incubator. There are 6 more turkey eggs under a broody hen in the chicken house. He has another 24 eggs in the incubator that will hatch in about 3 weeks. Lots of baby turkeys this year. We will raise them like chickens until they are about half grown and then butcher them like chickens. They produce larger breast and more meat. We even grind some for ground turkey for chili and also spaghetti. We will let a couple get to the size for roasting for Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner. Just another meat produced here on the farm from stock that we have raised ourselves and fed from what we produce.
Sustainable and healthy with no hormones or preservatives.
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
It's definitely a better thing to raise your own meat. You know how and what is in your meat. Happy turkey raising!
ReplyDeleteCQ, Simply the best and yes, better than all the rest (grocery store). Fresh meat, grown without all the crap you see on the grocery meats are the way to go. Congrats on the 19 new babies :-)
ReplyDeleteI was showing my husband your turkey baby pics and he read where you say you raise them on feed you produce yourselves. He has asked me if you would share how/what you feed them that you produce yourselves. We are looking into moving to some land and starting our own flock of chickens and turkeys and are interested in the best and most sustainable way to do this ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!!!
Dana
Corn, Buckwheat, cow peas we grow here on the farm. Soy beans we buy locally as we live in grain country. We own a small gas powered grain/feed grinder. We fenced off their run into two portions. One is planted with a mixture of buckwheat and greens. We allow them to graze in one while the other is growing. We also have turkey tractors for the younger ones after they graduate from the brooder. Hw will plant a patch o mixed grains such as cowpeas, buckwheat and various greens and simply rotate the tractor around the patch. We grind corn, and soybeans add grit especially for the young ones and add in a little purchased turkey feed on top. That is what we raise them on. This will be the third year with our flock and it is continuously growing. We maintain an adult gobbler and 4 hens for eggs. Raise the young and butcher what we have room for and sell the remaining birds. Lately we have been getting quite a few 4-H kids buying our young gobblers to show. We prefer raising turkeys for meat to chickens. Large breast, white meat and versatile. Turkey cutlets, ground turkey, turkey sausage, broth and canned white meat, smoked turkey and turkeys for roasting!
DeleteCongratulations on your successful hatch! Also glad you shared your feed plan in your comments..thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat is fantastic, CQ! And a lot of turkey. And broth and soup! Makes me hungry. :o)
ReplyDelete