Wilson Found a Market in Gift Orders and Hotels
by Ted R. Hash West Virginia University
This is a story about a turkey enterprise that bought and paid for a $20,000 farm in ten years. The principals in this story are H. B. Wilson, and his wife Edith, of Lewisburg, W. Va.
The story of Wilson's turkey business is interesting because it involves practically all phases of the turkey industry, including the production of breeder hens, hatching eggs, poults, live-market turkeys, turkey broilers, all types of dressed birds, and ready-cooked turkeys.
For years Wilson has been a breeder of purebred Shorthorn cattle. They got started in the turkey business by trading a Shorthorn heifer to John Turner, of Broadway, Va. for 350 day-old poults. Thus, Turner became a Shorthorn breeder, and the Wilsons were in the turkey business. Wilson says that their mutual assistance has been of tremendous value during the past ten years. The Wilson farm is located in the Greenbrier Valley of southern West Virginia, which has long been noted for its fine bluegrass pastures for beef and dairy cattle. He feels that turkeys are now helping his beef and dairy herds by improving the quality of pastures on his farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have expanded their turkey business during the past ten years from a flock of 350 birds the first year to the present capacity of 8,000.
The past ten years' development has been made on the home farm, which he operates in partnership with two brothers. It was the profits from the turkey enterprise, however, that enabled them to buy and pay for their own home farm which they recently purchased. The new farm that the turkeys bought is already being geared to produce turkeys. In fact, 500 turkeys were grown on the new farm last year as a beginning operation.
Marketing Program Developed
A complete marketing program has been developed as the turkey business expanded on the farm. Early in the development, Wilson contacted two large resort hotels in the area--The Homestead, at Hot springs, Va., and the Greenbrier Hotel, at White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Both of these establishments have expanded their use of turkey, and a large portion of the Wilson's production is delivered to them. They also sell to coal and lumber companies of southern West Virginia which use the turkeys as holiday gifts to employees. Turkeys for shooting matches all over West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky furnish a market for 800 to 900 turkeys annually.
Another interesting feature of the Wilsons' turkey business is the expanded production of turkey broilers. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson grow only Broad Breasted Bronze, and few growers attempt to use this breed for broilers. The chefs at the Homestead and Greenbrier Hotels, however, objected to the "Beltsville Whites" because of insufficient breast development. Wilson says, "If they want broad breasts, then I will furnish broad breasted turkeys to them."
Mrs. Wilson's attitude toward the wishes of her customers is responsible for this statement by C. C. Helms, purchasing agent of the Homestead Hotel: "We buy many fully grown turkeys from the Wilson, but our specialty is broiled young turkey. We want a turkey 7 to 10 pounds in weight. Our guests assure us there is no dish any place better than one of these young turkeys broiled over charcoal for one of our Sunday night, outdoor dinners during the summer months."
Wilsons are always ready to market a turkey, because they maintain a large stock of frozen birds on hand at all times. They have sold turkeys in 20 different states and of course, citizens from all over the world dine on their turkeys at the Homestead and Greenbrier Hotels.
To market a high quality product requires a production and processing program which includes: rigid breeder selection, disease control, a complete feeding program, and an efficient dressing and processing operation.
Only the best hens and toms are selected and kept for breeders. They feel that the best assurance of producing a top quality bird is to use the best birds for breeders, and sell the remainder.
The Wilson farm has plenty of good bluegrass pasture, and the birds are placed on range at about eight weeks of age. Home grown grains also are used to supplement a commercial mash.
Wilson believes that all turkey equipment should be kept in constantly use in so far as possible. They use 10x12 ft. colony brooder houses to brood the poults with both electric and wood brooders. He likes the labor saving advantage of electric brooders, but quickly adds that wood brooding is cheaper and keeps the litter in better condition. During the breeding season he uses the brooder houses to house breeders. He puts 15 hens and one tom in each house and rotates the toms every four days. This system of housing breeders, Wilson feels, has improved hatchability, gives cleaner eggs, and has practically eliminated broken eggs.
The story reveals an instance where hidden opportunities are being exploited. Maybe other hidden opportunities are available for development by many other turkey growers.