Author Topic: Turkeys - stags or hens? (Read 1981 times)

Daleswoman · « **on:** June 04, 2016, 10:12:16 am »

I'll be getting my second lot of turkeys soon and am wondering whether to go for hens or stags. Last year I had hens but they didn't grow very big and I've heard that males grow bigger. However my old Nana used to prefer hen birds because she said they had more breast meat. Is that true do you think?

Also can I have a few of each, or will there be hanky panky and fighting?

They'll be a traditional, slow growing breed and kept free range.

Sbom · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2016, 01:31:20 pm »

Hens, they tend to pluck nicer as lay down fat under the skin more than the stags. Its the strain of turkeys that determin the size more so than the sex.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2016, 02:15:59 pm »

Traditional breeds are single breasted, which is why they're still able to mate naturally rather than needing AI. Two males will display to each other. Put hens in the mix and they may fight or may sort out different territories but may fight if they share the same accommodation at night.

When mature my Narragansett stags are 15kg and the hens 11kg.

Hevxxx99 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2016, 03:02:34 pm »

I've always had a mix of both and never had any trouble beyond some displaying to the girls which is quite funny when they're scrawny teens! If you're killing for Christmas it's unlikely to be a problem. Kept longer, the males do square up to each other a bit in the spring.

Stags have a higher ratio of bone to meat so although heavier and bigger, are not necessarily meatier.