Male: 5 – 11 kgAdult

Thankfully, there’s a simple rule of thumb to estimate how much turkey to get for your guests. Plan on getting one pound of turkey per adult guest and one-half pound per child. If you want leftovers or a little extra, then plan on one and one-half pounds per adult and three-quarter pounds per child.

Today, the average turkey weighs around 30.5 pounds, almost twice as much as it did in the 1960s.

3 – 5 yearsAdult, In the wild

Like most birds, they only have a couple hundred taste buds, which is about 9000 less than a human. This means turkeys have a pretty limited palette and are only able to sense flavors like sweet, sour, acid and bitter. Their sense of smell is equally weak.

Preferred foods of wild turkeys In the spring, they tend to eat leaves and grasses, and in the fall, they feed more on fruits, berries, seeds and insects. Acorns are a crucial source of nutrients for wild turkeys, especially in the wintertime. Berries.

Some of the most popular and well known plants for turkeys include agricultural crops like rye, millet, oats, wheat, soybeans and sorghum. Chufa, a plant which forms small underground tubers, is also a favorite of wild turkeys.

FEED turkeys cracked or whole kernel corn, sunflower seeds, oats, wheat, or non-medicated commercial poultry or turkey rations. FEED turkeys daily by broadcasting food at a rate of 2 large handfuls (or 1/2 cup) per turkey per day.

These citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and make a healthy treats for your turkeys. Even though you do not want to eat the seeds of oranges, your turkeys love to eat orange seeds. Turkeys may also eat orange peels, but they have to be clean and fresh.

Fact is, rice cooked or uncooked won’t hurt wild birds at all. The rumor is that uncooked rice hits the bird’s tummy and then swells causing its stomach to explode. It’s simply not true. Birds eat rice during migration all the time, and they do just fine.

What Is The Best Age To Butcher A Turkey?

• The best age to butcher a Broad Breasted Turkey is 16-20 weeks, for heritage breed turkeys it’s 24-28 weeks.
• If you are looking for growth, broad breasted turkeys are your top choice.

Aim to pluck the turkey in early December and leave 14 days to hang. The most humane way to kill a turkey? Remove their food supply for 12 hours before slaughter but continue to give them water. Keep the bird in a dark room for an hour or so before to make sure they are relaxed and less aware.

In summary, you generally want to at least gut the turkey immediately after the kill. If you want to wait to finish cleaning the turkey that is fine but removing the guts greatly decreases the chances of the meat spoiling. Hang the turkey anywhere from 1-3 days in a cool, dry environment if you want to age the meat.