What is the low down on turkey production on Canada’s small farms? I did a bit of research to find out. I love to eat turkey but like most people, find myself in the habit only at certain times of the year.
The Turkey Farmers of Canada want people to ‘Think Turkey’ year-round as they embark on a campaign to raise awareness of the versatility and nutrition of turkey. They have engaged sports, music, and food personalities like Quebec BBQ Guru Max Lavoie to take charge and ensure people ‘Think Turkey’ when it is BBQ time this summer. Is this a campaign that Canada’s small farmers can cash in on?
It just may be. What I have found is that several small farmers, backyard producers, and homesteaders find raising turkeys is a slice. They do not require a lot of time each day, but turkeys do require daily care. Many producers got started with chickens and then get curious about other poultry like turkeys.
The most obvious difference between them is that turkeys are a lot bigger, so will require more space. Like chickens, they need quality feed, fresh water, a secure living space and run, clean bedding, roosting poles, and ground-level nesting boxes. The chick’s or poult’s brooding period can be riskier than with chickens. Turkey poults are unable to regulate their body temperatures for the first 10 days after hatching, making them very susceptible to cold and drafts.
There is also a disease called blackhead that chickens can carry without any outward symptoms, but poults and turkeys will die from it.
The number of turkeys that can be produced without quota varies by province. Poults are available through most hatcheries that sell to small lot producers. If you decide to raise your own turkeys, your initial purchase will need to be a heritage breed. They do not get big as fast as commercial breeds such as Large White, but they are able to breed naturally.
Here are a few heritage breeds to consider:
- Royal Palm: Toms weigh about 18-20 pounds, hens about 10-14 pounds. Royal Palms are great layers, great moms, they taste the best amongst heritage breeds but are hard to find
- Blue Slate: Toms weigh about 23 pounds, hens about 14 pounds. Blue Slates taste great, they’re also easy to raise and tend to have few health problems
- Bourbon Red: Toms weigh about 30 pounds, hens about 12-14 pounds. They have a good personality and are good mothers
- Spanish Black: Toms weigh about 28 pounds, hens about 14 pounds. They’re good layers and also calm
If you choose to go with a broad-breasted turkey (commercial breed), they reach butchering weight faster than a heritage breed, at 16-22 weeks for a 12 to 14-pound bird. A heritage breed in the same weight range will mature between 25-30 weeks. But you just might find at the end of 30 weeks there is a risk of emotional attachment, as by some reports the personality of a heritage turkey does anything but get you down!
A list of heritage breeders across Canada is available at: heritagelivestock.net/turkey-breeders