We raise a small flock each year with a few of our turkey being offered for the dinner table. The rest of the flock stays here, hanging out just being turkey foraging and laying eggs for the next years flock
We are currently accepting reservations/deposits for Thanksgiving
Heritage Turkeys
Reservations for Thanksgiving 2022 begins August and are 1st come
Reservations are highly recommended on these as they go quickly!
Pricing for our 2022 Bourbon Red heritage turkeys is $10.00 per pound. A $20 deposit is required to complete your reservation and the balance (total cost of your turkey minus your $20 deposit) is due at pick-up. We accept Paypal, cash or check. Deposits are non-refundable
Average weights for Bourbon Reds after processing are
7-11 pounds for young hens, 11-18 pounds for young Toms each will vary
We will do our best to provide you with your requested weight but none are guaranteed
Once our reservations are full, we start a waiting list for the few birds that we hold in reserve. Each year, we hold a small number of birds back from our reservation process, just in case something goes wrong to fulfill reservations. Goes wrong- as a predator attacks. When there are no predator issues, these held back turkeys are made available for purchase. There is no deposit required to be on the waiting list. Once we have harvested, we will start working our way down the waiting list, until all of our available Bourbon Reds have been spoken for. Please email or call to be placed on the wait list.
Our Heritage Turkey live the good life
Lots of fresh air and sunshine. They free range outdoors on pasture, not in houses or cages. They feed on natural grains, acorns, weeds, seeds, grasses, fodder, insects; all the things a Wild Turkey would eat. Because of their slower, more natural growth rate, they enjoy longer lives here before preparation for the dinner table. Once they have matured, ours are humanly processed here to avoid them the stress of transport. Not bred for huge breasts which would interfere with their ability to live fruitful outdoor lives. With Bourbon Reds, expect a normal ratio of breast to dark meat.
Why Bourbon Reds?
Bourbon Reds are one of the four Heritage Turkey breeds approved by the SLOW FOOD ARK of TASTE. According to the Livestock Conservancy, it is also a threatened breed with fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 5,000. As threatened poultry breed currently on the "Watch" list they need to be protected from extinction.
How do we do that?
Raise them, get the word out on how healthy and tasty these birds are so to build interest and in turn, increase their populations through proper management.
I happen to think the Bourbon Reds are one of the most beautiful of the heritage turkey breeds. Like their wild cousins, they are active foragers, eating the good stuff that makes them tasty and nutritious. This breed was developed in the late 1800’s and recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1909.
Heritage vs. Commercial
Typical “super market” turkey is a Broad Breasted White
These were developed by large-scale commercial turkey farmers in the mid-20th century. The goal for this Turkey for the producers? Economics! One of converting a minimum amount of feed into a maximum amount of white breast meat in the shortest possible amount of time. Raised in cramped houses with these huge breast these Broad Breasted Whites are more susceptible to disease, can't walk well or fly. Get this, they are unable to procreate except by artificial insemination and the taste?...well, plain and what many are used to and believe what turkey really tastes like.
What is Heritage Turkey?
Well, it’s not your broad breasted, supermarket turkey for sure.
Heritage turkeys are defined by the historic, range-based production system in which they are raised. Turkeys must meet all of the following criteria to qualify as a Heritage turkey:*
1. Naturally mating: the Heritage Turkey must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating, with expected fertility rates of 70-80%. This means that turkeys marketed as “heritage” must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock.
2. Long productive outdoor lifespan: the Heritage Turkey must have a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 5-7 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years. The Heritage Turkey must also have a genetic ability to withstand the environmental rigors of outdoor production systems.
3. Slow growth rate: the Heritage Turkey must have a slow to moderate rate of growth. Today’s heritage turkeys reach a marketable weight in about 28 weeks, giving the birds time to develop a strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass. This growth rate is identical to that of the commercial varieties of the first half of the 20th century.
* source: The Livestock Conservancy