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

[ChooksChick]

Welcome!​

Many of you will be familiar with other hatchalongs or will have even participated. This year, as hundreds of us in Mahonri's 4th Annual Easter Hatchalong have chatted, many of us expressed a desire to hatch Turkeys. This will be my first time! It takes a month to hatch a Turkey, so it's a bit more of a marathon than chicks...thus, it's the First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon!

Please join us if you are hatching anything, but in particular, Turkeys!

Our set day will be Easter, for a Cinco de Mayo hatch. This is perfect for growing out for Thanksgiving, if so inclined, and will be in perfect season for abundant eggs from BYC and local Turkey breeders.

So, you have roughly 3 weeks to get an incubator ready, acquire eggs, and sweet talk your spouse before we set!

PM me if you want to join in as there are sure to be a few contests and prizes, and we can keep a tally of the number of participants!

If you HAVE Turkeys and wish to offer eggs up to participants without, please do!

First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon Participants

AK Michelle
HortonFarms
dsqard
debs_flock
mlmddh
JessShan8
Wisher1000
Zookeeper15133
HortonFarms
SuperChemicalGirl
CrazyPetLady
Thebirdguy
EnnisLakeFarm
grasspack
Noncentzter
Wyogirl
Karimw
NotAFarm
Wolftracks
Arielle
Gryeyes
XchickieX
cmfarm
craz e laid e
coz74
MrHeinz77
HappyAcresKY
yinepu
Iwarfield
WVstruttin
Pele
chick-among-us
dinahmoe

Welcome Turkey Lurkers

viejo loco​

 

[Jessshan8]

I built it from a styrofoam shipping container from a local pet store. It was a box that they shipped live fish in. I called and asked them and they told me they give them away or just throw them away. I would coll your local store to see if they have any. The light I got from a local thrift store for $1.50. The HW thermo I had laying around along with the metal grid. I pit water bottles on the bottom to use as heat sinks to slow the cycling of the lights and retain and give off heat. here are a set of plans to build your own incubator / hatcher. You can change the size if you like the principles are the same. *** If you decide to build one yourself note that you will be dealing with electricity and the possibility of shock is prevalent use caution please!***** I have these plans in PDF if anyone wants a copy PM me your e-mail and I will send it to you.

Jesshan8, nice hatcher. You also have a nice incubator, any chance you could send me the plans ?

Chookschick - thanks for hosting the hatchathon !

Lotsapaints - Do we PM you for eggs or do you need to put it in the buy/trade/sell forum?

 

[ChooksChick]

Totally deserves a thumb-up vote!

I built it from a styrofoam shipping container from a local pet store. It was a box that they shipped live fish in. I called and asked them and they told me they give them away or just throw them away. I would coll your local store to see if they have any. The light I got from a local thrift store for $1.50. The HW thermo I had laying around along with the metal grid. I pit water bottles on the bottom to use as heat sinks to slow the cycling of the lights and retain and give off heat. here are a set of plans to build your own incubator / hatcher. You can change the size if you like the principles are the same. *** If you decide to build one yourself note that you will be dealing with electricity and the possibility of shock is prevalent use caution please!***** I have these plans in PDF if anyone wants a copy PM me your e-mail and I will send it to you.

 

[Jessshan8]

Here are the picks of the hatcher I completed to hatch the eggs in my bator from the Easter hatch-along. They will go into lockdown in there. This will give me time to clean and disinfect my fridgebator for this hatch-along. thanks to Zookeeper15133 for the idea to build it.

 

[Jessshan8]

As turkeys go they are much the same as chickens as far pecking order and such. Turkeys however mature much slower than chickens and take up to a year to sexually mature. outside of their breeding season toms and hens will form separate groups given the opportunity. Their breeding season is from early spring to mid summer. at which time the males will strut around and fight with each other to gain the right to breed and can become very aggressive almost never to the point that it causes a fatality and even towards their owners (though very unusual). A good ratio is one tom to 3 to 4 hens. Groups of toms and hens can be raised together given enough room with no issues. Hens will compete for pecking order but is rarely very aggressive and most of the time you will not even notice it is going on. Toms can become very aggressive with each other establishing their pecking order but is rarely very aggressive and usually consists of strutting and chest bumping with bites and nips to each others neck area and occasionally some spurring.
Raising young turkey poults can be a challenge as they are not the smartest of birds. They can get chilled easily and tend not to seek shelter in bad weather. Thus it is on the owner to shew them in their coop when weather is not the best like raining. After they fully feather out this is not necessary as much. Turkeys need a higher protein feed between 18 and 23%. This is not as important if they are free ranged as they will eat small insects, berries, and grasses. Another thing to consider is that young turkeys can fly very well and if you are planning to keep them penned you will need to affix a top to to your turkey run. Once the turkey matures and gains weight they are still able to fly but not as well.
When building a coop consideration must be given to the size of the coop as turkeys take up more space than chickens. If you plan on keeping and breeding them in the future the placement of nest boxes (18" X 18") should also be considered as they are larger and typically will not nest over each other as chickens will so nest boxes should be placed very close to the ground away from the roost in a quiet shaded corner or such. The hens will however lay eggs in the same nest as another hen. Hen can raise their own poults without being separated from other hens or even the males. The key to this is space. One note of concern here if doing this is to remove watering troughs and place watering dishes with small pebbles in it as stated earlier poults are not smart and will drown themselves!
I wrote this based on my own experience in raising turkeys. I am not an expert and do not claim to be. If you have something to add to this or have additional knowledge I would ask you to share with us please.
I say the one who thinks he knows everything knows nothing! and there is always something new to learn.

 

[Noncentzter]

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!

Yep, know all about that!

 

[zookeeper15133]

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!!

Mine liked an old garbage can I laid on its side until their eggs started disappearing. After I started running out of places to nest, I went to the craft store and bought some ceramic eggs, they even have a hole in the bottom. But it fools them enough that they keep laying there, the duck too.

 

[dsqard]

Ennis they will be fine to wait until Sunday to set. Just gently turn them a couple of times a day like you would any shipped chicken egg. You don't have to hurry and get them in the incubator.

 

[debs_flock]

HELP!
On a good note, they all (7) arrived in beautiful condition. What do I do?

Your eggs will be fine until Sunday's set day. I got mine on Saturday and they are in the bathtub in the hall bath (coolest room in the house). I've just been tilting the carton from end to end three times per day.

I read that turkey eggs can actually be stored even longer than chicken eggs before setting, even up to a month.

I am so ready for the Easter hatch and then on to the turkeys!

Deb

 

[Wisher1000]

Okay, Okay, I see I am among kindred souls that are used to getting our own ways! I will set chicken eggs this weekend so they will hatch (see how positive I'm thinking?) the same day as ya'lls poults. Oh, and as for the straightjacket.......I'll take an XL in Houndstooth, please.

I have quite a collection of chicken books with pretty pictures and pretty general information (more the coffee table variety.) I will find a nicer one and offer it as a prize for one of the contests.

Oh, dear Lord, here we go again!

Deb, I always like to get PM's, especially from you!