How Long Does It Take To Raise A Turkey?
| Turkey Species | Species | Typical Time to Butcher | Time to Full Maturity |
| Black Turkey | Heritage | 6 months (25 weeks) | 6-8 months (25-30 weeks) |
| Broad Breasted White Turkey | Domestic | 4-5 months (16-20 weeks) | 9 months (36 weeks) |
| Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey | Domestic | 5 months (20 weeks) | 5-6 months (20-24 weeks) |
| Bourbon Red Turkey | Heritage | 6 months (25 weeks) | 7-8 months (28-32 weeks) |
Full Answer
What is the lifespan of a Bronze turkey?
Mar 12, 2020 · How long do broad breasted bronze turkeys live? Unlike industry-bred birds, heritage turkeys can roost, run and fly. Hens (female turkeys) typically live for five to seven years while toms (male turkeys) live about three to five years [source: American Livestock Breeds Conservancy]. Click to see full answer.
Can Broad Breasted Turkey reproduce naturally?
May 08, 2020 · Beside above, what is the lifespan of a turkey? 3 – 5 years Adult, In the wild. Beside above, are bronze turkeys better? Bronze turkeys tend to be more traditionally reared and are usually free range. Like their Black cousins, they are famed for a distinctive gamey flavour and moist meat, but also have a firm texture.
How many eggs do Bronze turkeys lay?
Mar 12, 2011 · A bronze is different than a broad breasted bronze. A bronze will live 8, 10 or even 12 years, a BBB will not.
What is a broad breasted Turkey?
10 rows · Jul 12, 2019 · Broad Breasted Bronze turkey chickens laid approximately 60 eggs annually. Whereas the ...
How long will a broad breasted turkey live?
The life span of a broad-breasted white turkey is between two and five years. Generally, the male broad-breasted white turkey lives a shorter life than a female. Although, people kill them for their meat.Dec 9, 2020
How long do Bronze turkey live?
These birds weigh far less and have average life spans of 10 to 12 years. There are broad- breasted bronze turkeys, as well, who grow to the same size as the broad-breasted whites, who make up more than 98% of all birds used in production.Mar 12, 2020
How long can meat turkeys live?
10 yearsThe natural lifespan of the turkey is up to 10 years, but on factory farms they are slaughtered when they're just 5 months old.
Are bronze turkeys good pets?
On the other hand, if you're simply raising your birds to keep as pets, it might be better to focus on heritage turkeys – Standard Bronze, White Holland, Narragansett, Royal Palm, etc. These turkeys are known for their long, productive life span and slow growth rate.Nov 8, 2019
Can Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys breed naturally?
The broad breasted bronze turkey derived from the bronze turkey being crossed with larger, faster growing breeds. Because they are broad breasted, it is difficult for them to mate naturally. Many times they are bred through artificial insemination.May 22, 2015
How big do Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys get?
four feetBroad Breasted Bronze Turkeys are immense birds — much like the Giant White Turkey — measuring up to four feet in length, with a six-foot wing span. A full-grown tom will weigh in at about 38 pounds, hens easily reach 22 pounds....QUICK STATS.Type:TurkeysMale Mature Weight:38 lbsFemale Mature Weight:22 lbs3 more rows
What is the life expectancy in turkey 2020?
77.93 yearsIn 2020, life expectancy at birth for Turkey was 77.93 years. Life expectancy at birth of Turkey increased from 52.89 years in 1971 to 77.93 years in 2020 growing at an average annual rate of 0.79%.
How old do turkeys live in the wild?
The average lifespan of a wild turkey is three to five years, and the oldest known wild turkey lived to be at least 13 years old.Apr 1, 2021
How long do turkeys live before slaughter?
At 5 to 6 months old, turkeys are sent to the slaughterhouse. In the wild, they can live to be 10 years old.Nov 27, 2013
Where do broad breasted turkeys sleep?
Many large breed turkeys cannot safely perch at night, so it's very important to give them a solid elevated sleep structure like a straw bale with daily-replaced bedding on top.Apr 23, 2021
Do broad breasted turkeys lay eggs?
Since most turkeys are raised as meat birds, many people wonder, “Do turkeys lay eggs?” The short answer is yes. Turkey eggs are known to be just as nutritious as chicken eggs, with a strong shell and larger yolk. Hens lay an average of two eggs per week compared to the daily egg of a chicken.Jan 14, 2018
How many eggs does a Broad Breasted Bronze turkey lay?
Broad Breasted Bronze turkey hens laid an average of 60 eggs per heft to June 1. Eighty-eight percent of these eggs were fertile and 78.4 percent of the fertile eggs hatched. The average hatchability of all eggs set during the season was 69.1 per- cent.
How long do turkeys live in a brooder?
To get started, you will need a brooder and a few supplies. The turkeys will spend the first 7 – 8 weeks living in the brooder, so it is important to have everything ready before you bring the turkeys home.
How old are turkeys when they are ready to move?
7 weeks old. At 7 – 8 weeks, if the outside temperature stays consistently at or above 60 degrees, the turkeys are ready to be moved outside. During the day, they can free range or be in a fenced area on your property. They will need a coop that they can be locked in at night to protect them from predators.
Why do turkeys need protein?
Broad breasted turkeys need high protein diets because they are fast growing. We are feeding our turkeys a commercial poultry starter/grower food made for a variety of poultry, including turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, and quail. Supplement more protein in their diets if needed. When you first get the turkeys home dip their beaks into ...
Why are turkeys so hard to mate?
Because they are broad breasted, it is difficult for them to mate naturally. Many times they are bred through artificial insemination. Bronze and white broad breasted turkeys are available at most poultry hatcheries and also at many farm stores (in the spring).
How to keep brooder temperature down?
For the first week, keep the brooder temperature at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Each week, bring the temperature down 5 degrees by raising the heat lamp a few inches. Once you reach 60 degrees, you can remove the heat lamp. 7 weeks old.
What is the purpose of a broad breasted bronze turkey?
The only real purpose for the Broad Breasted Bronze is for meat. It is an incredibly fast-growing turkey, and this means that it needs to be slaughtered before it reaches adulthood. If it is not slaughtered by this point, then it will die from heart failure.
Where did the bronze turkey originate?
Where Do The Bronze Turkey Come From? We do know that the roots of the Bronze Turkey can be traced to England, at some point in the 18th Century. Although, this is a heritage turkey breed that did not become officially recognized until the 19th Century. There is some debate about where the original Bronze turkey was created.
What is the most popular turkey breed?
For a long while, the Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey was one of the most popular turkey breeds in the United States. While it no longer holds that honor, this is a breed that is still bred in droves, and it is probably one of the more recognizable of turkey breeds in the country.
How many types of turkeys are there?
There are Actually Two Types. This is where things get a little bit odd. The Bronze turkey is actually divided into two different types, but they both come from the same stock. You will see both of them referred to as the Bronze turkey: Standard Bronze. Broad Breasted Bronze.
Why do we not know the origins of the Bronze Turkey?
Part of the reason why we do not know the real origins of this turkey breed is down to the fact that it had several different names in the early history. Nobody even called it the Bronze turkey until the mid-19th century. As a result, it is incredibly difficult to track down the history of the bird.
Is a bronze turkey a turkey?
The Standard Bronze is a lot smaller than the Broad Breasted Bronze, but this is not something that has stopped it being raised for meat production. It is still a turkey. It is still going to weigh a substantial amount.
Can a broad breasted bronze hen conceive?
The problem with the Broad Breasted Bronze is that the bird is massive. In fact, it is so massive that it cannot conceive naturally . This means that if you are planning to have these as part of a homestead flock, there is virtually no chance you will be able to breed them yourself.
How much does a bronze turkey weigh?
Average live body weight of the mature Bronze hens is around 7.25 kg. And the mature tom’s average live body weight is around 11.5 kg.
What is a bronze turkey?
The Bronze turkey is a breed of domestic turkey which was originated from crosses between the domestic turkeys brought by European colonists to the Americas and the eastern wild turkeys they found upon their arrival.
How long did turkeys dominate the market?
They were not used for commercial production for decades until the early 21st century. But the breed went on to dominate the commercial turkey industry for 20 years after it’s development (until the Broad Breasted White turkey became the breed of choice).
When did turkeys become bronze?
The Bronze turkey was known by the late 1700s, but the name ‘Bronze’ didn’t formally appear until the 1830s. Breeders standardized the Bronze throughout the 1800s, and occasional crosses were made back to the wild turkey. And the Bronze variety was officially recognized by the American Poultry Association in the year of 1874.
Do bronze turkeys mate?
They are long lived birds and mate naturally (but today they have lost the ability to mate naturally due to their large size, and the Broad Breasted variety that is in existence today is maintained entirely by artificial inse mination). They are relatively slow to grow.
When did turkeys become broad breasted?
But people began to prefer the Broad Breasted White turkey during the beginning in the 1960s. Breeders began to prefer the breed because they produced a cleaner looking carcass.
What is a broad breasted white turkey?
Broad Breasted White Turkey: Characteristics, Uses & Breed Information. The Broad Breasted White turkey is a breed of domestic turkey from United States. It is commercially the most widely used domesticated turkey for meat. The breed was actually developed by crossing the White Holland and the Broad Breasted Bronze turkey.
What is the dominant turkey breed?
The breed was actually developed by crossing the White Holland and the Broad Breasted Bronze turkey. And it has become the dominant turkey breed on the market. The breed is the one that most American are familiar with. Before development of the breed, the Broad Breasted Bronze breed held the dominant position on the turkey market.
Why do breeders prefer white turkeys?
Breeders began to prefer the breed because they produced a cleaner looking carcass. The general white turkey breed was admitted into the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection in 1874. Read some more information about this domestic turkey breed below. Table of Contents. Broad Breasted White Turkey Characteristics.
How much does a turkey weigh?
Average live body weight of the mature Broad Breasted White turkey is between 17 and 20 kg. But sometimes they can weight more.
What is the most popular turkey?
The Broad Breasted White turkey is the most popular and widely raised breed of domestic turkey. Today these birds are highly popular throughout the world and they are excellent for meat production.
