A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[CindyinSD]

I can’t wait until mine starts laying!

Here they are from this morning.Belle is so hard to get a pic of she just keeps eating she followed me all the way to the gate tho and did a bunch of little squawks I wonder what she was saying hehe.

I also am making my way through the posts but I had a question. Do they absolutely NEED roosts. I don’t have any in their coop. Wilson jumped on top of the fence once but it was before Belle was there and it was getting dark and I think he got nervous I wasn’t coming. I read the females roost more. I am planning on building one but I just wanted to wait until the snow melts and I can find some trees easily without digging lol.

They will eventually want to roost on the tallest thing they can reach. Mine roost on the coop roof mostly. Not a pretty picture after they’ve been sitting up there all night. It will eventually make it easier to collect poop for compost, I guess... It’s a metal roof so it slides off once it dries.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Turkeys don't like sleeping on the floor, because they feel vulnerable to predators. Make sure whatever roost you choose are wide enough, at least 2x4 with the 4" side up. This lets them get a good grip and lets their breast feathers cover their toes comfortably without the feathers being compressed by sitting on the ground... It's warmer to roost than sitting on the ground because of how feathers insulate by trapping air layers. Eventually, if their wings aren't clipped, they will roost wherever is both highest and most comfortable, but especially highest, whether you want them there or not. Mine prefer 20 feet up in the rafters of the hay barn, on the exposed beams.

Bantam bird ya that is our problem then have half of the chicken coop until we build them their own so there’s not enough room for them to roost. We shut them in at night though so that’s their only choice unless they hide from us before dark ....we just bought our property so we want to put a barn up eventually but right now we’re not able to. But we will be building them their own coop soon.

The two coops are in the background one is for the ducks and two geese though

 

[Phillyndilly]

Roosting is their natural instinct. I think that without roosts in your coop, they will eventually start looking for somewhere else to sleep instead. Here's mine. Its just a converted old shed. Poults and hens absolutely love the swing. I've only ever seen very young toms use it. I think they get too big.

View attachment 1978856

Aw they look adorable! Yes my fiancé is handy but unfortunately there were no sheds or anything on the property so we’ll have to build something from scratch.. maybe I can fit a bar somewhere in the coop for the time being though I want them to be happy. I want to build a swing too my fiancé says the chickens won’t use it but I think they will lol. The chickens hate the roost ladder I built though I think it’s too small I have to adjust it!

They will eventually want to roost on the tallest thing they can reach. Mine roost on the coop roof mostly. Not a pretty picture after they’ve been sitting up there all night. It will eventually make it easier to collect poop for compost, I guess... It’s a metal roof so it slides off once it dries.

Hahah that’s how my coop is but Wilson has only tried to get up on the fence which he falls off because we used galvanized wire which sticks out the top so he is literally on the .5 in thick wire wobbling around lol

 

[CindyinSD]

When you build a coop ladder it’s important to space the rungs far enough apart so that, when it’s set up, the horizontal space between the rungs is a minimum of one foot. Further apart isn’t a problem, but much closer and adult birds won’t have enough room.

If you have a decent sawhorse, you can put that in the coop, wedged against a wall so it doesn’t tip. Your turkeys will be happy with it for now. When they’re bigger they’ll need something else but for now it should be good. If you re-make your ladder roost, they’ll use that, too.

 

[FredsGobblers]

For a quick roost you can set 2 cinder blocks on end with a 2x4 running between in top hole. 4 ft board and couple blocks is quick and would not take up much room

 

[memphis]

Just found my ninja teenage turkey hens sitting along the ridge of my garage. Took a bit, but finally convinced them to come down. Iris, still being a skinny little thing, almost flew into me. Wish I had a camera. They looked all settled in for the evening.

 

[Flashpoint]

How do you pronounce Dsisy?

 

[Flashpoint]

Heh - just to post my favorite wintertime mantra -

"I Hate Winter". ​

Now - that that is out of the way, I have been busy arranging, re-arranging, and arranging some more on what I am doing with all the birds for winter. In the midst of it all, I have a cold (at least I hope that's all it is), so I have been even more extremely slower than usual.

Plus, I have 18 hens - with 16 of them being new pullets. I am up to getting 9-10 eggs a day now and really NOT sure what I am going to do with a possible 100 plus eggs a week in the near future.


Two of the pullets have started out laying extra large to jumbo eggs - and I have to wonder what are the chances that they might (the pullets) explode! One is from a California White and the other is (I think) a Columbian Wyandotte.

The smaller egg is a medium.

I also like the swing idea I read in an earlier post. I have an old frame from a patio swing that I believe can be easily converted into a bird swing. lol I already use a heavy-duty playset swing as support for overhead chicken wire netting.

And this concludes my "hit and run" post for today.

 

[CindyinSD]

When my new layers give me super big eggs, they’re often double-yolkers. Most states will allow small flock keepers to sell eggs direct to consumers either on your “farm,” or at a farmers’ market, workplace, roadside stand, etc. Usually you can’t sell to retailers for resale, whether restaurants or grocery stores, or jobbers. Unless you’re me, married to a retired insurance adjuster who’s terrified of being sued.

 

[Flashpoint]

When my new layers give me super big eggs, they’re often double-yolkers. Most states will allow small flock keepers to sell eggs direct to consumers either on your “farm,” or at a farmers’ market, workplace, roadside stand, etc. Usually you can’t sell to retailers for resale, whether restaurants or grocery stores, or jobbers. Unless you’re me, married to a retired insurance adjuster who’s terrified of being sued.

As far as I know regarding Maryland, it is illegal to sell eggs unless registered and with a special license. I can and do share my eggs with family members - and this includes the birds. They will be eating a lot of scrambled eggs this winter. That said, I see a LOT of "Fresh Egg" signs on local farms - and I am quite certain they are not registered as such.


Maryland Poultry - Maryland Department of Agriculture
https://mda.maryland.gov › animalHealth › Pages › poultry
The Maryland Egg law requires all eggs sold in the state meet standards for safety, quality, labeling and weight. Everyone selling eggs, even small backyard producers, must comply with it. (emphasis mine)

So unless I am missing something here....

On table eggs alone....

https://mda.maryland.gov/animalHealth/Pages/poultry.aspx#SellingEggs