When people ask us what we do and we tell them we are Turkey Farmers ….It fast becomes a topic of conversation!!

We get asked an array of questions! So here are some answers and fun facts:

Fun Facts:

Yes we really do still eat Turkey, especially on Christmas Day!

Turkeys can have between 5,000 – 6,000 feathers on their body!

An Adult male is called a Tom or Stag and a Female is called a Hen

A Tom normally weighs between 10-12kg

A Hen normally weighs between 3-10kg

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. How much longer does it take to rear a turkey compared to a chicken?

A. Depends on how big you want the turkey! But really , a chicken is normally 6 to 7 weeks of age but a turkey is grown up to 14 to 22 weeks depending on the size required.

Q. What’s the difference between a standard supermarket turkey and a Hogans Farm Charlesfort Turkey™?

A.  We produce both types.

  1. The standard turkey that most families buy is the one you will find in the supermarkets, and is the normal commercial white turkey.  This breed was specifically bred to gain weight quickly mainly for food service and further processing because it reaches weights of up to 19 kg live weight at 22 weeks of age.  The females of this breed are slaughtered at a much younger age of 11 to 15 weeks to hit the popular 4kg to 7kg oven ready weight per bird which the large multiples sell at Christmas.
  2. Hogans Farm Charlesfort Turkey breed is a slower growing bird .Compared to the commercial turkey ,it has a bigger more rounded breast formation, giving more breast meat per kg versus your standard turkey and it has shorter legs. It is a much slower growing turkey maturing over a longer period of time adding to its delicious flavour. Many have commented that the breast is a creamier colour compared to the stark white of the standard bird. The Free Range Woodland Bronze variety of the Csharlesfort Turkey range, is truly remarkable. Apart from roaming completely free for about 7 months, the flavour these birds produce is described as slightly gamey as it has depth in flavour and overall succulence.