First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter - Page 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

A picture of my last years poults. THis picture was taken  to show the colors, I didn't know if it was all BR as the hen I bought had also been in with another tom. Grew up to be a gorgeous BR.

 

Ahhhhh, sooo cute!!  I BR eggs coming.  I hope mine hatch and look just like that.     Can you tell the hens from the toms when they are young, or do you have to wait?

Eggs will be shipping soon!!!

I'm also scheming about what I'm going to put in the bator, chickens-wise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by superchemicalgirl 

Eggs will be shipping soon!!!

 

I'm also scheming about what I'm going to put in the bator, chickens-wise.

 

 

I'm hatching alot of my own for the Easter Hatchalong so maybe something else would be nice.......hmmm.......what would make a good "turkey tutor"?!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotAFarm 

I'm hatching alot of my own for the Easter Hatchalong so maybe something else would be nice.......hmmm.......what would make a good "turkey tutor"?!

 

 

 

I brooded mine with Silkies last year.  It was funny when they joined the flock and the Silkies thought they were turkeys!  They still hang out with the turkeys, but they can't sleep with them anymore.  The Silkies can't get up that high.

Quote:

Originally Posted by craz e laid e 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

A picture of my last years poults. THis picture was taken  to show the colors, I didn't know if it was all BR as the hen I bought had also been in with another tom. Grew up to be a gorgeous BR.

 

Ahhhhh, sooo cute!!  I BR eggs coming.  I hope mine hatch and look just like that.     Can you tell the hens from the toms when they are young, or do you have to wait?

 

THe boys grow much faster. THe snood gets bigger faster also. By a couple months, as I remember, I could see boys vs girls. All my boys are sweet and like to follow me. 5 boys all puffed out trying to impress me. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by zookeeper15133 

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotAFarm 

I'm hatching alot of my own for the Easter Hatchalong so maybe something else would be nice.......hmmm.......what would make a good "turkey tutor"?!

 

 

 

I brooded mine with Silkies last year.  It was funny when they joined the flock and the Silkies thought they were turkeys!  They still hang out with the turkeys, but they can't sleep with them anymore.  The Silkies can't get up that high.

I have a turkey hen who goes back to the transition coop to look in the window for her friends. I don't tell her her friends have moved to another coop and she sees them every day, she just doesn't recognize them any more!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

THe boys grow much faster. THe snood gets bigger faster also. By a couple months, as I remember, I could see boys vs girls. All my boys are sweet and like to follow me. 5 boys all puffed out trying to impress me. 

 

X2 but one thing that took me by surprise is that the girls may display as youngsters.  I am pretty sure all of mine were doing it as poults.  I thought I had six boys for a while.  So don't panic if they all do it when little.  It is pretty cute when they do it as poults.

Yesterday I cleaned out an old dog crate, the all plastic with a mesh window type, and hauled it over to the turkey coop.  It didn't fit thru the door!!!!   I started to unhinge the top and bottom  sections but ran into bolts. 

Guess I'll make a wooden nesting box  instead. TRying to give the hens a clue!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

Yesterday I cleaned out an old dog crate, the all plastic with a mesh window type, and hauled it over to the turkey coop.  It didn't fit thru the door!!!!   I started to unhinge the top and bottom  sections but ran into bolts. 

 

Guess I'll make a wooden nesting box  instead. TRying to give the hens a clue!!

 Perhaps you answered this already but are they cooped all the time? Mine free range and I see the hens all over looking for a secluded place to lay. I didn't think my first hen was laying either until I found a trail of odd looking broken eggs leading from the garden to the horse barn. She had started a nest in the as yet untouched garden and changed her mind. I saw her trying to carry them in her beak back to the barn but she couldn't manage it the whole way without dropping them. Most of them fell when she was flying over the fence. I carried the last two for her back to the barn and put them in nest box I had set up for her. She did manage to hatch about 6 on her own but not one of them survived. I decided she wasn't really parent material.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsqard 

X2 but one thing that took me by surprise is that the girls may display as youngsters.  I am pretty sure all of mine were doing it as poults.  I thought I had six boys for a while.  So don't panic if they all do it when little.  It is pretty cute when they do it as poults.

 

Another good indicator is as they mature the males loose all the feathers on their heads and the females keep theirs to some extent (although it is still sparse) and the "feather line" is higher........  Whats Up With The Male Pattern Baldness!!!!!!!!!!"   Sometimes nature isn't kind, if there are any other fellas here you know what I am talking about!