Bourban Red Heritage Turkeys

[More Liberty]

As my wife and I build our family farm up, we pulled the trigger on purchasing some turkeys. I've always like the various heritage breeds. Yesterday we got two hens and a tom for our farm.

The tom is pretty big, not very smart but able to get the work done of ensuring the hens lay fertilized eggs for future thanksgivings and Christmases.

Does anyone here have them? What are your experiences? Should we clip their wings?

[Lawhunter]

Pretty neat looking turkey

[More Liberty]

Thanks. They aren't your traditional white mass produced bird.

[MountainMan]

We raise pastured birds on our farm and turkeys are always a big seller for us. We've raised Bourbon Reds, Narragansets, Midget Whites, Broad Breasted, and Royal Palm. The heritage birds do better on pasture and seem to avoid predators better, but they take a WHOLE lot longer (like 4-6 months longer) to hit butcher weight and they get kinda ornery there towards the end.

You're right that toms aren't the smartest birds God ever made but they do their job. I never clip their wings just in case they need to get away from something. Don't be surprised when they start roosting on your house, neighbors deck, etc. though.

[More Liberty]

We raise pastured birds on our farm and turkeys are always a big seller for us. We've raised Bourbon Reds, Narragansets, Midget Whites, Broad Breasted, and Royal Palm. The heritage birds do better on pasture and seem to avoid predators better, but they take a WHOLE lot longer (like 4-6 months longer) to hit butcher weight and they get kinda ornery there towards the end.

You're right that toms aren't the smartest birds God ever made but they do their job. I never clip their wings just in case they need to get away from something. Don't be surprised when they start roosting on your house, neighbors deck, etc. though.

Thanks. We just got them - as I previously stated - so i dont want them running off. We are keeping them in a coop right now. I figure they will recognize the coop area as home and thus return.