Storey's Guide to Raising Turkeys, 3rd Edition Breeds, Care, Marketing

by Schrider, Don

• ISBN13: 9781612121499
• ISBN10: 1612121497
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-01-29
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Summary

The 12 years since the original edition of Storey'â„¢s Guide to Raising Turkeys was published, the backyard poultry movement has undergone a revolution. Fueled by locavore activism, there'â„¢s been a surge in small-scale poultry farming in response to consumer demand for the best flavors, new organic standards, the lifting of local ordinances, and a deep enthusiasm for heritage breeds. Turkeys are at the center of this revolution. Don Schrider'â„¢s all-new edition of Storey'â„¢s Guide to Raising Turkeys includes detailed information on everything today'â„¢s turkey farmer needs to know: the characteristics of various heritage breeds, humane raising practices, pastured feeding methods, organic certification standards, on-farm processing guidelines, backyard raising techniques, and the most up-to-date medical and care procedures. The book also provides a six-month timetable and guidelines for the backyard farmer raising turkey poults for the Thanksgiving table. Marketing information, profiles of turkey farmers, and detailed illustrations complete this comprehensive reference book. This important new edition is a highly valuable addition to Storey'â„¢s best-selling series. With nearly 2 million copies in print, the Storey'â„¢s Guide to Raising series is the most trusted source of essential animal husbandry information. Now, the next generation of turkey farmers has all the information required to raise birds ' naturally and profitably!

Author Biography

Don Schrider is a poultry aficionado and has written on the topic for many publications, including Mother Earth News, Backyard Poultry, Chickens, Countryside and Small Stock Journal, and Poultry Press. He is a master breeder of Brown Leghorn and Buckeye chickens and has worked with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy on various projects. He lives in Vermont.

Table of Contents

Preface

 

Introduction

The Nature of the Bird * Natural Habitat

 

1 History

An American Original * European Contact * Colonial America * Breed Improvements

 

2 Varieties of Turkeys

Three Turkey Types * Wild Turkeys * Commercial Broad-Breasted Turkeys * Heritage Turkey Varieties * Securing Stock * Shipping and Receiving

 

3 Building and Equipment

Management Systems * Housing * Equipment

 

4 Feeds and Feeding

Feed Types * Natural Balancing * Feeding * Feeding Philosophy * Feeding the Breeders

 

5 Incubation

Collection of Eggs * Incubator Setup * Egg Position and Turning * Candling * When to Open the Incubator * Poult Defects Caused by Improper Incubation * Identification and Tracking * Removing Poults from the Incubator

 

6 Brooding

Imitating Nature * Natural Brooding * Before Brooding * The Brooder and Brooder House * Primary Brooding Challenges * Receiving Shipped Poults * Maturing Poults * Observing Poult Behavior

 

7 Pastured Production

Overview of the Three Systems * The Challenges of Overstocking * Learning from Nature * Rotational Grazing * Fencing Basics * Movable Roosts and Feeders * Permanent Fencing * Guardian Dogs * Roosts * Shade * Pasture * Manure * Putting Poults on Pasture

 

8 Protection from Predators

Small Predators * Medium-sized Predators * Large Predators * Flying Predators * Prevention * Fencing * Guardian Dogs * Your Ecosystem * Turkey Nature

 

9 Killing and Processing

Assessing Readiness for Processing * Care before Killing * Processing Area and Equipment * Killing * Debraining * Scalding * Plucking * Eviscerating * Cleaning the Giblets * Trussing * Chilling and Packaging * State and Federal Grading and Inspection

 

10 Breeding

Nature's Way * Human Impact * A Philosophy of Good Breeding * Genes * Breeds, Varieties, and Strains of Turkeys * Breeding Methods * Breeding Tools * Culling * Care of Breeding Turkeys * Storing Eggs * Egg Production * Selection * Applying What You've Learned * Artificial Insemination

 

11 The Turkey Enterprise

Consistency * Source of Stock * System of Production * Feed * Transporting * Processing * Product Marketing * Product Storage and Shipping * Inspections and Certifications * Marketing Your Turkeys

 

12 Flock Health

Disease Prevention Starts with Good Health * Disease Basics * Turkey Diseases * Turkey Parasites * Disease Prevention * Nutritional Deficiencies * Miscellaneous Problems * Disposal of Dead Birds * Rodent Control

 

Advice from Turkey Breeders

Talking Turkey: A Glossary of Terms

Definition of a Heritage Turkey

Recommended Reading

Resources

Index