Growing BIG BIG turkeys

[Cindi]

I have enormous family gatherings (well I think that they are big) when we have a turkey dinner.  At Christmas I cooked two 25 pound birds.  My family are big, big eaters.

I am going to raise my own turkeys this year and they will have to live with the ducks and chickens.  I also have pounds of excess garlic that I grew.  I remember reading in a post (which I will look at later again) that the turkeys can get a disease called blackspot (or something like that) that is carried by the chicken as its hostfresh garlic has been used to combat this pest.  So, they will get fed garlic freely.

What I want to know is, has anyone grown great big turkeys.  Is there a limit to the size that these birds can get to?  It would be nice to grow a 50 pound turkey if they could ever get that big.  This will be a year of experimentation with the birds.  Great day.  Cindi

Reviewed the old post and I have changed some information here.

[Jerrymac]

This is what I found.

http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/thanks/tkyinfo.html

According to the Guinness Book of Records the largest turkey raised was 39.09 kilograms (86 pounds) -- about the size of a large dog.

[Cindi]

Jerry, that was an excellent site.  I loved the jargon about the names of the parts of the turkeys' apparatus on their heads.  Great day.  Cindi

[randydrivesabus]

i think very large turkeys can have leg and foot problems.

[Cindi]

Randy, yup, that makes sense, and wouldn't that be a bummer if they couldn't walk properly.   Great day.  Cindi

[Scadsobees]

My dad tells stories about when we tried to raise fryer chickens (something like that) and their breasts would get so big that their legs couldn't handle it and half of them died before they could grow up all the way.  One would fall over then all of the other chickens would peck it to death.  Thats because he didn't keep them in little cages.  Probably the same thing with turkeys.

There were better varieties of chickens that didn't have that problem even though they are smaller and not as much white meat.

-rick

[TwT]

I have been thinking of ordering some eastern wild turkey chicks, always wanted some, here is were I am going to get them... this site has all kinds or birds for sale........

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/turkeys_ducks_geese_game_birds_guineas_peafowl.html

[thomashton]

I would recommend a large breed of course. I would try blue slate or of course broad breasted bronze.
Begin with a high protien diet (I think 28% would be in order).