1-Have my Turkeys be 30 pounds by the time of Fair

2-Win Grand Champion market pen for the first time

3-Prove that my feeding program can produce healthy market turkeys

I received my turkeys on December 4th, 2024,they weighed 2.66, 2.67 and 2.68 ounces. This week we had them in a small brooder in our bathroom. When I picked the turkeys I looked for no gaps in the wing feathers and that the feathers laid correctly against the body. Next, I made sure they had a straight and strong keel bone and made sure their legs were set far apart so they can stand up instead of falling over all the time and have room to grow plenty of breast meat.

This week two turkeys weighed 4.0 pounds and the third turkey weighed 4.2! The turkeys grew a pound in a week. The turkeys were still transitioning from inside at night and outside for the day  to protect them from freezing temperature. This is a 5x5 pen that won't be their final pen but is small enough to keep them comfortable while they acclimate to outdoor life.

This week the turkeys weighed 6.8, 7.0 and 7.4 pounds, growing almost two pounds this week! The turkeys seemed very happy in their new open area.

This week The turkeys weighed 9.2, 9.2 and 9.8 

*Cleaning and Sanitizing the final grow out coop for the turkeys, this pen is 12 foot long, 6 foot wide and 6 foot tall. I add features that encourage roosting by adding different level roosting polls, encourage foraging and eating by adding 3 different feeding and watering bowls

This week The turkeys weighed 11.6, 11.6 and 12.8 pounds This is when I started realizing that there are two turkeys that are the same weight but then there is one turkey that seemed to be a bit heavier than the others! I also started a new weighing system where I would stand on a scale by myself and write down my weight. Then I would pick up a turkey and write down our weight combined, I would then subtract the two weights and then I would have the turkeys weight. Looking back at my records for last year's turkeys, these three are about 2.5 pounds below last years weight.

It is officially the 10 week mark of owning these turkeys! It has been so much fun raising them but we still have 10 more weeks to go! This week the turkeys weighed 16, 16 and 18.2 pounds. That is a huge surge in growth for one week. I will need to start adjusting their feed rations to pace their growth. They also loved hanging out together when I would let them out of their run to explore.

This week the turkeys weighed 20.2, 20.2, and 19.6. This week almost all of them were over 20 pounds. This means I am one step closer to reaching my goal of having my turkeys be 30 pounds by fair. 

*Turkey snuck in the goat pen when I let them lose.

My goal is for my turkeys to gain one pound a week until the week of fair. With them weighing 26.8, 24.8, 23.8. I also flipped them over this week to inspect their breasts too make sure they were healthy with no breast blisters or bruising.

This week the turkeys weighed 28, 29.6 and 32.2 pounds. This week I have been checking their breasts every once in a while to make sure there are no breast sore or bruises. 

This week the turkeys weighed 30, 32 and 35.2 pounds. The turkeys love to follow me, if I go inside, they think they should come inside also! The days are starting to get busier as fair is getting closer, I am very excited.

This week the turkeys weigh 35.8, 30.6, 33.8 lbs. I have met my first goal of having my turkeys being at least 30 pounds by fair so the rest of this week will be preparing for the heatwave to come next weekend.

This week the turkeys weighed, 38, 35.8, and 35 pounds. I have been managing my turkeys feed and their weight as good as I can to make sure they are not to heavy for fair. The turkeys also got a pool for each of them since they don't like sharing!

Fair is finally here! No weights this week because she will be weighed at fair, her final weight will be on her coop card. My turkeys band number is 00062, she is not my biggest but she is my healthiest and my favorite one. I love her condition and her personality and I can't wait to spend fair with her. Be sure to stop to see Large Marge in the livestock barn!