Ask SAM: Grow Thanksgiving dinner in your backyard

This column is provided by Larimer County Extension's Small Acreage Management (SAM) Program to assist rural residents.

Dear SAM,

I'd like to raise my own turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. Are turkeys difficult to manage?

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn,

While it is too late to raise a turkey for this year's Thanksgiving dinner, it is a very reasonable project to accomplish next year.

Turkeys are ready for slaughter when 4 to 6 months old. You'll want to get your young turkeys, called poults, next spring to prepare for Thanksgiving. Poults are available from several local feed stores. Vaccinated poults are less likely to have disease problems.

In the meantime, work on getting your facilities ready. Young poults require only 1 square foot of space per bird. Birds nearing maturity require 3 to 4 square feet each. While these are the space requirements for commercial production, most home producers provide substantially more space for their turkeys.

Provide several feeders with a minimum of 2 inches of feeder space per poult. Some young birds have trouble finding feed and can starve even though feed is available. When you bring the birds home, dip their beaks in feed and water to familiarize them with their food.

There are many critters out there, including fox, coyote, skunks, raccoons and dogs that would love to treat themselves to your Thanksgiving dinner. Your turkeys will need an enclosed shelter with a secure roof. If you have only a few birds, a small structure such as a garden shed can serve as a barn. Poultry netting can be used for outdoor enclosures. Extend netting one foot deep into the ground to discourage predators from tunneling.

Turkeys can be allowed to wander freely on your property. Like chickens, free ranging turkeys return to the coop to roost in the evening. Allowing your birds to roam and graze can reduce your feed costs but you need to supplement with a 20 percent protein poultry feed. Be sure to provide water for ranging birds. Beware of daytime predators that might be lurking in your neighborhood. Free-ranging birds need to be closed in secure housing at night.

Males, or tom turkeys, grow faster and larger than the female hens. A mature tom weighs 30 to 35 pounds while a mature hen weighs about 20 pounds. After processing, a 20-pound bird will yield a 14-pound turkey for your table.

You can butcher your turkey yourself or pay a processor to do this for you. Northern Colorado Poultry in Nunn, 231-9706, provides custom processing services by appointment.

Turkeys are easy to raise and are a fun family project. If you have children ages 8 to 18, they can join 4-H and learn even more while they produce Thanksgiving dinner. Call Larimer County Extension at 498-6000 for more information about 4-H programs.

SAM

Have a question about rural living? Write to Ask SAM, Larimer County Cooperative Extension, P.O. Box 543, Fort Collins, CO 80522.