How Long Does It Take to Raise a Turkey for Meat?

Raising turkeys for meat can be a rewarding experience resulting in a delicious homegrown holiday meal. However it does require some time and planning to get from poult to processed turkey. Here’s what you need to know about the time commitment involved in raising meat turkeys.

Turkey Breeds and Growth Rates

The amount of time needed to raise a turkey to harvest weight depends largely on the breed. Here are some common options and their growth rates:

Broad-breasted turkeys – The most common commercial breed, these turkeys reach market weight the fastest at about 18-22 weeks for toms and 14-16 weeks for hens. Toms can reach over 30 pounds and hens over 15 pounds.
Heritage breeds – Slower growing breeds like Bourbon Reds, Royal Palms, and Blue Slates take 24-30 weeks to reach maturity at weights between 10-25 pounds depending on sex.
Midget White – A smaller heritage breed, Midget Whites reach 16-20 pounds for toms and 8-12 pounds for hens in 20-25 weeks.

So in general, expect most turkeys to take about 5-7 months from hatching to harvest. The Broad-breasted turkeys used by commercial operations will be on the shorter end at under 6 months for hens and just over for toms.

When to Get Poults

Since you need about 5-7 months lead time, you’ll want to get poults in late spring or early summer for a Thanksgiving harvest Here are some guidelines

For Broad-breasted turkeys, order poults in early July so they are ready to process in November.
For heritage breeds order poults in May or June to have them reach target weight between late October and December.
If you want to hatch your own eggs, start incubating them 28-30 days before the ideal poult arrival dates above.

Starting poults in summer allows time for them to mature before temperatures drop and they start experiencing reduced growth rates. It also gives you a buffer in case your birds grow slightly slower than expected.

Raising Timeline Month-by-Month

Here is an approximate timeline for raising Broad-breasted turkeys for Thanksgiving:

Month 1

Receive day-old poults in early July and set up a brooder.
Keep poults at 95°F for the first week, then reduce by 5° per week.
Feed a 28% protein starter feed. Provide ample clean water.
Expect poults to double in size by 2 weeks old.

Months 2-3

Around 6-8 weeks old, move poults from the brooder to a secure outdoor pen with a coop.
Switch feed to a 20-22% grower formula.
Let poults explore and forage if possible but keep confined.
Monitor for signs of disease and predators.

Months 4-5

From 14 weeks on, feed an 18-20% finisher feed.
Continue to monitor health and watch for aggression between males.
Prepare shelter and equipment for processing day.
Line up helpers for processing day. Arrange for disposal or storage of waste.

Month 6

Process turkeys at 18-22 weeks old once they’ve reached target weight.
Chill carcasses completely before further processing and freezing.
Cook, preserve, and freeze meat within 2 days of processing.
Clean equipment and shelter thoroughly.

With good preparation and care, your Broad-breasted turkeys will be ready for harvest in November right in time for Thanksgiving meals and holiday feasts. Heritage breeds on a May/June timeline will finish up in late fall.

Tips for Efficient Raising

Here are some tips to help your turkeys grow as efficiently as possible:

Select fast-growing commercial strains suited to your climate.
Provide high-protein feed appropriate for each growth stage.
Allow access to pasture for foraging if possible.
Manage litter and ammonia levels in housing.
Keep stress low by reducing overcrowding and aggression.
Follow biosecurity measures to prevent disease.
Protect birds from predators at all times.
Butcher at optimal size before feed conversion declines.

Is It Worth the Time Investment?

Raising turkeys for home use takes dedication over many months. While you save on purchasing a holiday bird, you do have to invest significantly more time and work than simply picking one up frozen at the grocery store.

Here are some factors to consider when deciding if raising meat turkeys is worthwhile for you:

Do you enjoy hands-on animal husbandry as a hobby?
Is easy access to high quality poults available in your area?
Can you commit to daily care over 6+ months?
Do you have predator-proof housing and fences?
Are there regional processors to handle butchering?
Will the finished turkey offset enough purchases to justify costs?

For the right person with space and commitment, homegrown turkeys can certainly be a rewarding experience. But don’t undertake raising them lightly, as they do require significant time and work compared to a frozen bird from the store.

Most turkeys need about 5-7 months to grow from poults to full size for butchering. Broad-breasted turkeys are the fastest, reaching target weights for hens at 14-16 weeks and toms at 18-22 weeks. Heritage breeds take 24-30 weeks to finish. Plan poult purchase or hatching times accordingly so birds are ready for fall and winter holidays. Provide proper feed, housing, and care during the long grow-out period. With some work and patience, you can enjoy delicious homegrown turkey raised right in your own backyard.

how long to raise a turkey for meat

Growing your own Thanksgiving turkeys

, – July 10, 2019

If you have ever considered raising turkeys for Thanksgiving feasts, now is the time to get started.

Have you ever considered raising your own turkeys to market for the Thanksgiving holiday? Raising market turkeys can be a fun and rewarding way to provide fresh, local food in your community. It is also a great project youth can do to help build animal science content knowledge and entrepreneurial skills.

Most turkey breeds will mature between 14-22 weeks of age, which means you will need to purchase birds early in July to make sure they have enough time to grow. Heritage breeds will take a bit longer, 25-30 weeks, so those birds would need to be purchased in late May or early June.

Turkey poults can be purchased through different hatcheries and are typically a few days old when they arrive to the purchaser. Beginning with the end in mind is a good strategy to help you determine what breed you should purchase. Each breed will vary in the length of time it takes for the bird to mature and the final weight on mature birds. Turkeys should be kept in groups of at least three to six birds.

Turkey poults are raised very similarly to chickens. They will need to be kept in a brooder for the first six weeks and can then be transferred into a coop setting. Turkeys will need a larger area to grow than chicks due to their size, and size requirements will increase as the turkey grows. The following is the amount of coop space per turkey that will be needed:

0-8 weeks: 2-2.5 square feet per turkey
8-16 weeks: 3-4 square feet per turkey
16-20 weeks: 5-8 square feet per turkey
20 weeks to market weight: 6-10 square feet per turkey

Turkeys also require different diets during different growth stages. They need a diet very high in protein so that they can grow and gain muscle quickly. Generally, a 30% protein diet is fed as a starter feed from 0-8 weeks of age. After that, birds can be dropped down to a 20% protein grower formula until they achieve market weight. Turkeys must have access to clean, fresh water at all times as well.

“Giving Poults a Good Start” by the University of Maine Extension and “Raising Turkeys” by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension are great resources that can provide more in-depth information.

Turkeys are sold at a price per pound. In order to determine what you need to charge per pound, consider the following:

Purchase price of poults
Feed costs
Harvesting costs
Marketing costs
Other expenses—bedding, supplies, etc.

Determining your input costs will help you set a fair price so that your costs are covered.

Raising turkeys can be a fun and rewarding opportunity for youth to build upon their 4-H poultry experience outside of the local fair.

Raising Turkey for Beginners – What you need to know to get started!

FAQ

How long to raise a turkey before slaughter?

At what age should a turkey be butchered?

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 meat turkeys hard to raise?

In my opinion, with the exception of the space that raising turkeys requires, turkeys are easier to keep than chickens. They are docile, regal birds that move across the yard with a certain air of sophistication. They create tight family bonds and are fairly intelligent.

How much does it cost to raise a turkey?

Then after eight weeks till processing they use turkey grower (18% protein). It can cost up to $30-$50 to raise a turkey depending on its breed . Heritage poults cost more but if you can manage a trio of a Tom and two hens (females) you can expect eggs and become more self sufficient the following year.