A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

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We are fast approaching the silly season for turkeys.

I had some this past spring that I thought had Blackhead they were so bloody, bruised and swollen. I have found they look worse than they are and we as people are more horrified by them than the turkeys are. I wouild just use the blu kote and reasonable cleanliness and turn him back out.


I have no idea what your climate is like, but here I try to not bring them indoors as going back outside after they get acclimated to the warmth of a house is worse than just staying outside.

Feathyr I am glad to see you came back to us! Feel free to hang around anytime and as much as you want.
 
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Good to know; he looks awful.

Usually I'm in favor of keeping them outside as well, but our climate is currently cold and slightly damp - I'm not sure if turkeys get frostbite as easily as chickens do, though.

Weathermen are predicting a low of single digit temperatures within the week, and if they're correct we'll have snow soon as well. Would he still be fine outside?

I'll take you up on that offer! It's a good day for turkey photos, so maybe I'll take some after lunch and show off my flock.
 
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Feathyr said:
Good to know; he looks awful.

Usually I'm in favor of keeping them outside as well, but our climate is currently cold and slightly damp - I'm not sure if turkeys get frostbite as easily as chickens do, though.

Weathermen are predicting a low of single digit temperatures within the week, and if they're correct we'll have snow soon as well. Would he still be fine outside?

I'll take you up on that offer! It's a good day for turkey photos, so maybe I'll take some after lunch and show off my flock.
Click to expand...


Showing off pictures is always a good idea!

We like pictures. It was 8 degrees this morning when I woke up with a terrible cold wind. My turkeys did fine. I have a nice turkey house for them and half of them spent the night outside! Dumb things.


Last winter I had 5 that never went inside even during blizzards and 40 below,
 
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Hi Feathry! Oh please post pics! We love them. Sorry about you tom. Ralph is right. They can look horrendous. Clean well, spray & return to flock. Turkeys are fine with cold weather. Or buy him a diaper & make him a house turkey! :D

Ralph, admittedly JJ is amazing. Maybe you separate a few hens out for Sidekick & Penguin too. Could even get more interesting. And don't forget Ginger. Barred feathers are the ones with horizontal stripping.
 
I think he'll be fine then, lol. I'll fill one of my coop cages with straw so he can burrow down into it.

This is my first year with turkeys. We purchased fifteen Bourbon Red poults in June, but only eleven made it, leaving me with six hens and five toms. It's been an interesting experience thus far. I expected them to be far more wild, but they're all tame and enjoy attention.

Edit: LOL, no house turkeys! The cat wouldn't like it.
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Feathyr, If you ever find a turkey that is not tame and does not follow people everywhere, let us know?

With 5 toms you are going to get a LOT of bruising before June gets here. 6 hens and 5 toms is going to give you a few problems. The Toms could mate the hens to death. If you have not witnessed turkey mating, you are in for a surprise. It is not gentle and loving.

I had to get rid of 4 Toms last year and only kept 2. It was the hardest thing to do, picking the one that got to stay. JJ was and is on the always safe list. He is more pet than turkey. I picked out sidekick to stay based on color and size. He had no name when he was picked. Turkey that could be guests of honor on a holiday never get named here.

Memphis. I would love to do that. BUT I just do not have the pens for that many. My DW is thinking I have too many pens now. I think I need about 40 more.

Sidekick is a good Tom, I am not sure he will get to breed this year. He has a 80% chance of not seeing the inside of the freezer. (Sidekick is more of a position than a name). Penguin even though he has a name will most likely not be here long. Besides being a big pain in the Belly button and He acts like a belly button. He has nothing to offer me in genetics that JJ, Sidekick or the un-named one ( That I think might be a lilac, that you guys have not rendered a guess on) cannot give me. Porters Calculator was not a good thing for Penguin.

I am thinking of putting the Lilac in a pen with the blue red bronze and a blue. Giving JJ 9 girls and kicking Sidekick out to hang out with the chickens.
 
Well, I don't have time to read everything right now. Just wanted to let you all know the pathology report on that chicken.
Mareks.
****** great. She was one of two who were from a small farm north of me, guaranteed to be vaccinated. Quarantined, but mareks doesn't show up in 2 weeks.
DH wants to cull and wait a couple years. I'm crying in my beer.
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Oh man. That's sucks. I don't even know what to say. I'd be devastated. I'm so sorry. Will that affect the turkeys too? I don't know if they can even get it.
 
Wow, I just did a ton of reading to catch up on all the news. Was nice to read all the chatter - I needed that today!

MM - so sorry to hear about the pathology, that sucks! I don't know what I would do :hugs

Ralph - Are you planning to keep Ginger too? Or just JJ, Sidekick and the Lilac? From the pictures that I saw, I think he's a lilac. I couldn't find anything else that really looked like his coloring. I still think Penguin would give you great poults - you did say your DW hadn't put a strict limit on the birds yet..... :p

Feathyr - Welcome! And I hope we get to see pictures of your birds soon :) I think I'll be in the same boat as you soon, I have too many toms - and they'll probably start fighting soon. Mine are all basically pets - I have no idea how I would choose who stays and who goes if it comes to that. Maybe more pens is the solution..... I'll see what my DH says about that idea :D
 

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