From Poults to Cutlets

The third and final interesting aspect of the Hutterite Colony tour was a visit to the turkey barns.

13,500 poults, all toms

one of four turkey barns

A Hutterite young-ish gentleman was our tour guide at the turkey barns. He has been taking care of turkeys since he was a kid, assigned to the turkey barns. These poults arrived just a week or so ago as a few days old. He and his crew have to 'train' the poults to go to the water and grain feeders. They do that by spreading different colored shreddings near the water containers as the poults can determine colors at a very early age of development. (He does not believe they are color-blind.)

green shredding can be identified among the floor material

Although I took notes as fast as I could on my phone, there were things I missed, like what is used for shredding material. I believe the colored shredding is paper. (You can see a green piece just below the C of my name.) The temperature in the barn is a consistent 92º and has a constant air flow/exchange. The barn did NOT smell as I was expecting it to smell. This colony raises turkeys for their breast meat. The turkeys are sold to a Tyson processing plant in Huron.

The poults stay in this barn for 4 weeks when they are moved to another barn where they are kept until they reach their desired weight of 46 pounds. The barn is then cleaned and disinfected and prepped for a new batch of poults. 

In reading about poults and from his talk, the little turkeys follow him as soon as he steps into the barn. (We were cautioned to be quiet at the viewing window, or the poults would rush to the window causing a stampede and possible suicides/deaths.) They are called poults until they are more than 4 weeks old.

I asked how he would know if there would be any dead poults in a group of 13,500 and he replied he walks through the barn often watching them scamper and follow. Imprinting. He opened the door and called to his little guy friends and they chattered back and scrambled to the open door. Someone is on duty at the turkey barns 24/7. I am thinking this barn requires the most observation.

This barn of 15,000 turkeys, hens and toms, are about two weeks from shipping. These birds are 17 weeks old, each weighing about 40 pounds. (Toms weigh more than hens.) I have to admit, it did not smell as badly as I remember the smell from the turkey barn across the road from our first home in Watertown. A west wind made your eyes burn some days! I have no idea the size of the barn, other than LONG. Although it can't be seen in this photo, the water and grain feeders are in lines under the row of lights.

He shared they have a barn of 14,000 and another of 19,000 all in various stages of growth and readiness for processing. It is 140 days from hatching to processing or maybe in their hands for 140 days. The colony grows and harvests the grain used to feed these turkeys. They also raise chickens and pigs for their own consumption, but no cattle.

The turkeys we buy this time of year, the 12-14 pound birds, take 16-22 weeks, and are most likely a different type of turkey, just as there are different breeds of chickens for different purposes.

This colony raises the turkeys for their breast meat. Remember that 8 oz. turkey cutlet we had for lunch during our visit? A very nice LARGE slice of meat, lightly breaded, which I cut in half.