Turkey Hauling 2

The daunting task of small batch Turkey Logistics. What makes it so difficult? Over the years we have learned to raise turkeys properly. We can give them the best environment, nutrition, protection, and care. However, as a small producer, we do not control the vertical aspects of the chain. For example, we work with hatcheries that provide us with the day-old poults. We have found really good hatcheries that we like, but still, we must work with their schedule. To get the premium calendar dates for poult delivery, this part of the process must be booked in early January. Similarly, processing dates must be booked directly after our poult arrival date is confirmed. This is the most problematic step. Primarily because you never know what the grow-out season might hold. We are trying to predict 9 months in advance how long it will take a baby turkey to reach the perfect processing weight. Variables throughout the grow-out can greatly affect the rate of gain. Therefore, in some years, we get close to the processing date, and the turkeys are a little small, while in other years, we get near the processing date, and the turkeys are growing right past our target weight. Typically, the processor is booked solid, so there is no room to move the processing date either forward or backward. This year our turkeys grew really well. I caught and weighed 10 females and 10 males about 4 weeks before the processing date. At that point, the birds were already at the desired weight. Unfortunately, our processor couldn't change our processing date. After brainstorming for a while, I contacted our nutritionist. I asked her to formulate a feed that would basically be a maintenance diet, giving the birds all the nutrition, vitamins, and minerals that they require but not pushing them to grow. I'm sure that is an odd request. I basically bought an extra $1500 worth of feed that was designed not to add any weight. But it seems to have worked. I don't have all the data yet, but preliminary weights look pretty good. Getting the birds processed at the proper weight is one of the biggest challenges when raising turkeys. I feel like I gained another notch of experience this year. The ability to create a maintenance diet will be another tool in our toolbox for turkey growing. In all of my agricultural endeavors, whether they were very successful or " less successful," I always look back on things that I would change or do better. It is never perfect. I like the way doctors describe their careers: They "practice." I think I'll start saying I "practice" farming.