TURKEYS
CHICKENS @ CD&J MINI RANCH
MORE ABOUT CHICKENS
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? And why did the chicken cross the road?
Whether you prefer them as pets, on a farm, or on your dinner plate for a meal, here are some fun facts about one of the most classic farm animals!
– There are more chickens on earth than people 26 billion. There are also more chickens than any other bird species.
– Chickens can remember many different faces of people or animals.
– The color of the egg depends on the chicken’s earlobes. Red ear lobed chickens lay brown eggs, while white ear lobed chickens lay white eggs.
– A hen has to eat about four pounds of feed to make one dozen eggs.
– Chickens have prehistoric roots and are the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
–Chickens have their own unique language with over 30 different sounds used to communicate.
–A chicken’s heart beats from 220 to 360 times per minute.
–A chicken egg’s nutritional value is the same, regardless of the egg color.
–Most eggs are typically laid in the morning between 7 am and 11 am.
That's just a few chicken facts. Check our our list of chickens and eggs that we raise below.
ABOUT OUR TURKEYS
We raise Bourbon Red Turkeys and Midget White Turkeys. The Bourbon Red is a Heritage breed of domestic
turkey named for its unique reddish plumage. They were originally selected
as a meat bird, and was created by crossing Buff, Standard Bronze, and White Holland Turkeys. This turkey was an important variety in the turkey industry throughout the 1930s and 1940s. The breed standard indicates the Bourbon Red should weigh 23 pounds for toms and 14 pounds for hens at slaughter
age which is approx 28 weeks.
Like most turkey breeds, their popularity declined after the commercial adoption of the Broad Breasted White. Populations began to recover in the early 21st century, and today it is one of the most popular heritage turkey breeds in the U.S. Despite its relative
popularity as a heritage breed, it is still listed as "watch" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The hens can lay upwards of 170 eggs per year.
We started raising the Midget Whites because we thought they would be smaller and more suited to our homestead since there are only 4 of us here at the Ranch. But that is not the case. The Midget White is a breed of domestic turkey
named for its white plumage and small stature. The breed is the smallest standard variety of turkey, and
with toms at roughly 13 lbs and hens 8-10 lbs (ours weigh much more than that). The Midget White Turkey is friendly and is especially well-suited to being raised on small farms and on a homestead. The hens lay an average of 60-80 large eggs per year. We do hatch out a number of chicks to raise for the holiday meal.
