A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[OneMountainAcres]

My turkey hens are laying again! Not everyone, but at least 2 girls are. Tommy went to a new home yesterday. Since I'm not going to be breeding reds anymore, we were just going to eat him but I saw a wanted ad, looking for a bourbon tom. They were thrilled to take him. He looked awful though. He's in full molt! Thankfully, I had a picture of him when he's beautiful lol. He's going to have 3 ladies all to himself. Does anyone else have birds molting right now? Phil looks pitiful and has no tail feathers left, all the Marans have pin feathers everywhere and the back of Eve's neck is bare with tiny pins emerging. Sweet Pea is broody and has been for a couple weeks now. She will get whatever olive egger cockerels hatch out this week since my big oprington girl got last week's boys.

On the saddle front, I had another request for a broad breasted saddle...That makes 4 of those big ones gone already! Regular turkey saddles have been flying off the shelves lately too. It seems that my etsy shop is really taking off since my first customer left me a great review I guess it's time to make more!

We ended up with two more dux at our house the other day....not on purpose of course. I wanted to phase out the water fowl. Meet "Hulk" and "Franky".

My brother in law got these two for his kids (they named them) a couple weeks ago. Of course their dog tried to eat them so now they have to live at our house.... They're cute but seriously, I did want to wait until my Dux died off and not get anymore. Of course Ebony is not helping either....she has 9 of her own eggs under her and they're all developing...They WILL be going to the swap.

 

[Bantambird]

My turkey hens are laying again! Not everyone, but at least 2 girls are. Tommy went to a new home yesterday. Since I'm not going to be breeding reds anymore, we were just going to eat him but I saw a wanted ad, looking for a bourbon tom. They were thrilled to take him. He looked awful though. He's in full molt! Thankfully, I had a picture of him when he's beautiful lol. He's going to have 3 ladies all to himself. Does anyone else have birds molting right now? Phil looks pitiful and has no tail feathers left, all the Marans have pin feathers everywhere and the back of Eve's neck is bare with tiny pins emerging. Sweet Pea is broody and has been for a couple weeks now. She will get whatever olive egger cockerels hatch out this week since my big oprington girl got last week's boys.

On the saddle front, I had another request for a broad breasted saddle...That makes 4 of those big ones gone already! Regular turkey saddles have been flying off the shelves lately too. It seems that my etsy shop is really taking off since my first customer left me a great review I guess it's time to make more!

We ended up with two more dux at our house the other day....not on purpose of course. I wanted to phase out the water fowl. Meet "Hulk" and "Franky".

View attachment 1714634

My brother in law got these two for his kids (they named them) a couple weeks ago. Of course their dog tried to eat them so now they have to live at our house.... They're cute but seriously, I did want to wait until my Dux died off and not get anymore. Of course Ebony is not helping either....she has 9 of her own eggs under her and they're all developing...They WILL be going to the swap.

View attachment 1714639

Water fowl? You mean water foul!

Never met a duck that didn't leave a slime trail and brown water.

 

[memphis]

Aurora....my girls only seem to molt in late fall. Interesting you have some molting now. How funny you are selling " big girl" saddles! I'm betting that's an overlooked marketing opportunity!

 

[memphis]

On our stroll yesterday I took the opportunity to do some clean up in one of the front gardens. Girls were interested at first but ended up layed out in the sun. I finally packed it up & headed down the driveway. Annie was following me but Daisy must have been half asleep. She all of a sudden realized she was alone & came running down the driveway calling to us. Of all the things my turkeys do...running just kills me. Just so funny looking!

 

[Molpet]

On our stroll yesterday I took the opportunity to do some clean up in one of the front gardens. Girls were interested at first but ended up layed out in the sun. I finally packed it up & headed down the driveway. Annie was following me but Daisy must have been half asleep. She all of a sudden realized she was alone & came running down the driveway calling to us. Of all the things my turkeys do...running just kills me. Just so funny looking!

Big footed booby's when they run.... Such goofs
unless they are afraid,then they run properly.

 

[memphis]

They DO look goofy running. Cracks me up.

 

[duluthralphie]

Water fowl? You mean water foul!

Never met a duck that didn't leave a slime trail and brown water.

A convert!!!!!

 

[Bantambird]

A convert!!!!!

I may not want to deal with the poopy mess that are ducks, but I would still like to have some geese. They are just so delicious, and goose grease(lard) makes the very best roasted root vegetables you've ever had, among other things. I don't like waterfowl eggs though. Never understood why people eat them, I can't get over the wierd rubber aftertaste flavor. I learned as a kid to handle geese like snakes, if you manage to grab them just behind the head gently but firmly, they won't be able to do much besides squirm. Barring wing punching, I guess, but that's solved easily enough, it's the head that hurts. Goose bites hurt!

 

[duluthralphie]

I may not want to deal with the poopy mess that are ducks, but I would still like to have some geese. They are just so delicious, and goose grease(lard) makes the very best roasted root vegetables you've ever had, among other things. I don't like waterfowl eggs though. Never understood why people eat them, I can't get over the wierd rubber aftertaste flavor. I learned as a kid to handle geese like snakes, if you manage to grab them just behind the head gently but firmly, they won't be able to do much besides squirm. Barring wing punching, I guess, but that's solved easily enough, it's the head that hurts. Goose bites hurt!

Before getting geese, go back in my history of posts and find the one about my experience with geese...Geese are like dux,,,,great in other peoples yards.

 

[duluthralphie]

For you that sell hatching eggs, what do you do about people that jump to the assumption if an egg does not develop it was not fertile?

A woman bought dozen turkey eggs. I gave her 14. They were all 4 days or less in age. I just got a text saying only 7 were fertile. I know my Toms. There is no way a hen was not bred. multiple times in the last month.

The weather was not freezing the eggs were brought in daily.

I I only had a few non-starters in my last batch, maybe 7-8, that is the batch I hatched 25, I think I started with 38. I have 6 quitters non-hatchers.

I told her to come get another dozen, she wants to wait until this batch hatches......Geez.... I released all my hens yesterday to free range and make their own nest.

I told her I have the eggs now but may not in 2 weeks...

Also she picked them up on the 16th. Today is the 25th...Way too early to tell for sure...