“Simply put, better feed equals better turkey.”
Bobby of Sensenig Turkey Farm says this while talking about the turkeys they raise on their farms in Elizabeth Township, PA. Feed is what Sensenig prides itself on.
“For our turkeys, we have our own feed mill and make the feed for the turkeys,” he explains. “We work closely with animal nutritionists to create a healthy diet that, in return, creates a better turkey. We have the control to not use sub-par ingredients to make a cheaper feed.”
Sensenig Turkey Farm has been in operation since 1959, when John Sensenig, who they describe as a young, energetic farmer dreaming of specialized farming, built his first turkey barn in the Brubaker Valley.
Today, their main farm is still in the Brubaker Valley, and they have six others in the area that raise birds for them (Bobby calls it “babysitting”), using the Sensenig feed blend.
The turkeys raised on their farms come from hatcheries in neighboring states as one-day-old poults (young turkeys). They live in houses with modern, computerized ventilation systems until they are five to seven weeks old. At that age, the birds are moved to grow-out barns, which give the turkeys room to roam with fresh air and clean water.
Feed, as mentioned above, is what sets these birds apart. It’s an all-vegetable diet, mostly grown on the Sensenig Farms. The turkeys are never given hormones or animal byproducts.
Compared to a grocery store turkey — the goal of which is to produce the largest turkey in the cheapest way possible — Bobby says their turkeys are an entirely different experience. Mass-produced birds in grocery stores taste like the quality of their production: cheap. A Sensenig turkey is juicy, tender, and rich in flavor.
For Thanksgiving, Harvie is offering fresh and frozen turkeys from Sensenig Farm. Skip the mass-produced bird this year — pre-order your Sensenig turkey instead!