
These breeds offer maximum meat yield and excellent feed conversion rates. If you are after fast-growing, Broad Breasted turkeys that will give you a great return on investment, we have the breeds available to meet your needs.
Commercial meat turkeys have been selectively bred to gain weight rapidly, so they are the industry standard for commercial farming. They offer a white to dark meat ratio that is ideal for traditional markets, about 70:30. Most grocery store turkeys are the
Broad Breasted White, which is the most efficient and widely used breed on the market.
If properly prepared, commercial breeds offer tender breast meat. They are a go-to for Thanksgiving meals and special occasions for their mild, yet juicy and flavorful meat. For easy processing,
turkeys with light or white feathers offer a clean carcass and minimal pin feathers.
Commercial meat turkeys can be raised indoors or outdoors. If raising meat turkeys outdoors, they do well on pasture where they can forage for beneficial insects and greens, producing a more nutrient-dense product.
Note that commercial breeds are not as hardy as heritage breeds, but they can still be raised successfully outdoors with proper care and management.
It's best to place a turkey order early in the season (typically February or March) to ensure your turkeys are ready for Thanksgiving dinner or a 4-H project. The most popular time to start raising turkeys is in May, June, or July, depending on the grow-out period for your poults. Accounting for the breed and the desired size of your birds, most turkeys can be processed within 16-22 weeks of age.
We do not recommend keeping or raising these breeds past their recommend processing times, as they are prone to health issues. Due to their large size, these turkeys cannot reproduce naturally. If you'd like to raise turkeys as pets,
please see our heritage turkeys for more information.
Have questions about our commercial turkeys? Don't hesitate to
reach out to us at Myers Poultry.