Raising turkeys can be a rewarding experience for any homesteader or small farmer. The regal birds make great additions to small flocks and provide delicious homegrown meat. However, before taking the plunge into turkey rearing, it is important to understand how long the process takes from start to finish. In this complete guide, we will cover everything you need to know about the time commitments and key milestones when raising turkeys.
Overview of Turkey Growth Stages
The total time to raise a turkey to maturity depends largely on the breed. Broad-breasted commercial strains reach target harvest weights the fastest, while heritage breeds take considerably longer to finish growing. Here are the general turkey growth stages and timeframes:
- Poults (0-8 weeks) – Need a brooder with heat lamp. Grow quickly and transition to starter feed.
- Young turkeys (8-20 weeks) – Move to outdoor shelter. Switch to grower feed. Continue rapid growth.
- Finishing (20+ weeks) – Transition to finisher feed. Put on final weight until processing.
On average, turkeys are ready for processing at 5-7 months of age. Let’s take a closer look at timelines for common turkey breeds.
Broad-Breasted Turkeys
The standard broad-breasted turkeys raised commercially are the fastest growing. Here are their timeframes:
- Hens – Ready at 14-16 weeks (3-4 months)
- Toms – Ready at 18-22 weeks (4-5 months)
These turkeys put on weight rapidly right up to processing time. Their fast growth makes them the best choice if you are raising turkeys for Thanksgiving or Christmas meals.
Heritage Breed Turkeys
Slow growing heritage breeds take longer to mature than commercial broad-breasts. Some examples include:
- Bourbon Red
- Jersey Buff
- Blue Slate
- Black Spanish
For these classic turkey breeds expect the following timelines:
- Hens – Ready at 24-28 weeks (6-7 months)
- Toms – Ready at 28-32 weeks (7-8 months)
So you will need to start heritage poults earlier in spring to ensure they reach target harvest weights in fall or early winter.
Planning Your Brooder and Poult Purchase
Since you need about 5-7 months from start to finish, plan your poult purchase or hatch timing accordingly.
Here are some tips:
- Buy broad-breasted poults in early July for Thanksgiving harvest.
- Get heritage breed poults in April-May for winter holiday meals.
- Allow 28-30 days of incubation time if hatching your own eggs.
- Start incubating eggs 4 weeks before ideal poult arrival dates.
Buy poults from a reputable hatchery so they get a healthy start. Always have your brooder fully set up and ready to go before poults arrive.
What to Expect Month-by-Month
Here is a sample month-by-month timeline if starting broad-breasted poults in early July for a Thanksgiving harvest:
Month 1
- Poults arrive at 1-3 days old.
- Set up brooder with 95°F temperature and chick starter feed.
- Monitor water and feeding closely.
- Expect rapid doubling of size in first 2 weeks.
Months 2-3
- At 6-8 weeks, move to outdoor shelter with grower feed.
- Let poults explore outdoors during the day if secure.
- Monitor for injuries, illness, or aggression.
Months 4-5
- Around 14 weeks, switch to finisher feed.
- Prepare shelter and processing supplies.
- Arrange helpers and make butchering arrangements.
Month 6
- Process turkeys at 16-22 weeks when target weight is reached.
- Chill, freeze, and store meat properly.
- Clean equipment thoroughly before storing for winter.
Following this timeline will have your broad-breasted turkeys ready just in time for Thanksgiving meals and holiday dinners.
Tips for Efficient Growth
Here are some tips for making sure your turkeys reach processing weight as efficiently as possible:
- Select fast growing strains suited for your climate.
- Follow recommended feeds for each growth stage.
- Allow access to pasture for foraging if possible.
- Reduce stress and overcrowding.
- Protect birds from predators at all times.
- Butcher at optimal size before feed conversion declines.
Is Raising Turkeys Worthwhile?
It takes dedication to raise turkeys over 5-7 months from poults to processing. While you save on buying a holiday bird, you invest significantly more labor than just purchasing a frozen turkey.
Factors to consider include:
- Do you enjoy hands-on animal raising?
- Can you commit to daily care for months?
- Do you have proper housing and fences?
- Is processing available in your area?
- Will the cost savings justify the work?
For the right person, homegrown turkeys can be very rewarding. Just be prepared for the time commitments involved before getting started.
Raising turkeys is a long process requiring 5-7 months from chick to processing. Plan your timeline carefully based on breed. Provide proper feeding, housing, and care during the grow-out period. With some work and patience, you can enjoy delicious homegrown turkey raised yourself from start to finish.
How Turkeys Are Raised
American farmers are raising turkeys in scientifically designed, environmentally controlled barns that provide maximum protection from predators, disease and weather extremes. They are fed a balanced diet of corn and soybean meal mixed with a supplement of vitamins and minerals. Genetic improvements, better feed formulation and modern management practices are responsible for the size of turkeys produced today.
On average, it takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 38-pound tom turkey. Feed ingredients account for roughly two-thirds of the cost of raising a turkey. Modern production methods have shortened the time it takes for turkeys to reach maturity. A hen usually takes 14 weeks and weighs 15.5 pounds when processed, but a tom takes roughly 18 weeks to reach a market weight of 38 pounds. Hens are typically processed and sold as whole birds, while toms are often further processed into products such as cutlets, tenderloins, turkey sausage, turkey franks and turkey deli meats.
To maintain production continuity, laying hens are artificially inseminated in a controlled environment. During a 25-week laying cycle, a hen normally lays 80-100 eggs. At the end of this cycle, the hen is “spent” and usually processed. Some breeders choose to molt the hen (allow a resting period) before another production cycle. This process takes 90 days; however, the second laying cycle will produce slightly fewer eggs (75-80).
Get a behind the scenes glimpse at a turkey farm and processing plant led by animal welfare expert Dr. Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University.
Raising Birds to Maturity
Broad-breasted White is the most commonly domesticated breed of turkey. This breed is raised to produce more breast meat and meatier thighs and is recognizable by their white feathers. Other variations, such as heritage turkeys, are also bred in niche markets.
Turkey eggs are tan with brown specks and are larger than chicken eggs. The incubation period to hatch a turkey egg is 28 days. Once hatched, a baby turkey is called a poult and is tan and brown. Male turkeys are called toms, while female turkeys are called hens.
Do you know the anatomy of an adult turkey?
Fun fact: Broad-breasted turkeys are bred with white feathers, so they leave no unsightly pigment spots under the skin when plucked.
Raising Turkey for Beginners – What you need to know to get started!
FAQ
How long does it take to raise a turkey to butcher size?
Most people have their broad breasted turkeys butchered between 18 and 20 weeks of age. Tom’s butchered at 18 weeks will average a carcass of approximately 29 lbs and hens will yield a carcass of approximately 20 lbs. As a general rule turkeys tend to dress at 75-80% of their body weight.
Are turkeys harder to raise than chickens?
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Size:Turkeys are significantly larger, meaning they need more space to roam and larger coops and nesting boxes.
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Feed needs:Due to their size, turkeys consume more food and may require a higher protein feed.
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Poults are delicate:Baby turkeys (poults) are more sensitive to temperature changes and drafts, requiring extra care in the brooding stage.
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Disease susceptibility:Turkeys are more susceptible to certain diseases like blackhead, which can be transmitted by chickens.
How long to raise turkeys for Thanksgiving?
Turkeys take about 15-17 weeks to reach full weight, so for a Thanksgiving bird, you need to start your poults in mid-July to early August.Dec 6, 2021
Is it profitable to raise turkeys?
Experts believe that the most effective sales of young birds are at the age of 3-6 weeks. Considering the optimal levels of expensive feed consumption and high selling price of young turkeys at this age, profitability can reach up to 50-70% on farms and up to 100% on smallholdings.