Turkey Talk for 2014

[kuntrygirl]

It's that time again for us to talk about our Turkey plans for 2014. Laying season has come upon some of us already and for others, laying season will be here in a few months to many months down the line. Let's talk about our turkey plans for 2014.

A few things we can discuss could be.

1. Are you prepared for Turkey season for 2014?
2. When do your hens start laying eggs?
3. What breeds do you plan on raising for 2014?
4. What is your current Tom/Hen Ratio?
5. How many poults do you plan on hatching?
6. Did you order any poults from other hatcheries? If so, what hatchery, what breed and how many are you expecting?
7. Are you ordering turkey eggs from someone? If so, how many?
8. Will you be using an incubator to hatch your turkey eggs?
9. Do you want your hens to go broody so that they can hatch eggs?
10. Will you be selling eggs and/or poults?
11. What are your feed plans for 2014? Anyone trying fermented feed for their flock?
12. Do you have your housing ready for your poults and turkeys?
13. How many turkeys will you be processing for your freezer for 2014?
14. What did you do this year that you want to do different next year (2014)?

PLEASE feel free to post ANYTHING you want about your turkeys, to include posting pics of those cute poults and those handsome and beautiful turkeys. Our discussion is not limited to the above topics. Especially for those who need help with hatching, poult problems, etc. No question is a dumb question, so don't be afraid to ask anything. We are all here to learn and we can learn from each other. Regardless if you keep your turkeys for pets or for food. It doesn't matter. Your problem and experience with your eggs, incubating, hatching, brooding, raising poults/adults can help the next person.

We are all turkey lovers and there are A LOT of experienced turkey people on this thread who are more than willing to help. So let's talk turkey!

 

[Sydney Acres]

So when I was locking up my birds tonight I went into the turkey house to collect eggs and a hen was sleeping in the nest as they often do. I decided to check under her for eggs and when I did I bumped her backend and she seemed unpleased so I looked and he has a huge reddish pink something sticking out her vent or vent area. I tried to get a few pics but it was very hard as it is pitch black out. I added one pic so maybe someone might know whats going on. I apologize for the gross picture. Her backend seemed damp and gooey and their was a damp goo spot in the nestbox floor where she was laying.

It's a little difficult to tell what's going on from the picture. Clearly there is open flesh that is quite inflammed, and a lot of moisture that is soaking the feathers. but beyond that it's all a guess. The four most likely issues are a prolapse of either the oviduct or intestines, an oviductal tear, or a large open skin wound from an injury. An oviductal prolapse is by far the most likely.

You need to get her up and into an area with good light so you can see exactly what's going on. This is probably a medical emergency that can't wait. If this is an oviductal prolapse, below is a cut and paste of how to fix it, if you choose to do it yourself. Here a link to the original post, which has a picture of an obvious prolapse: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/838701/turkey-talk-for-2014/1080. The post is #1086. Not all prolapses are this large or this obvious, so even if your turkey's problem doesn't look this dramatic, it could still be a prolapse.

Please take this seriously. If it is a prolapse it is often deadly without proper treatment. The hen in the post #1086 died. Good luck, and please post additional pictures or post again if you have any questions.


Lflynn, she has prolapsed. I can't tell 100% from the picture, but it looks like an oviductal prolapse (where the shell gland pushed out with the egg, and stayed out, but didn't tear). The other possibilities are an intestinal prolapse, or an oviductal tear (where the part of the shell gland that is outside has torn away from the part that is still inside). An oviductal prolapse is the most common, with the others being rare.

This is not something that can wait! You have to do something for her ASAP. The longer it is prolapsed the less likely she is to survive.

If you want to save her, you need to get the oviduct back inside tonight. If you want to take her to the vet, take her in now. If your regular vet doesn't take emergencies, she needs to go to the emergency clinic. If there's no vet available that will see turkeys this time of night, or if you don't want to take her to the vet, then you need to put it back inside yourself. Here's how you do it:

1) Put her in a cage by herself where there is only a clean towel or sheet or other cloth on the ground. If her feet are really dirt, wipe them off to keep them from getting the bedding dirty. If the prolapse is hanging out enough that she's stepping on it, or if she's biting at it, quickly wrap something around her that will keep it from hanging down to prevent further injury. You can use a wash cloth with masking tape criss-crossed under her chest then up over her back. Masking tape comes off feathers easily. Do not use stickier tape.

2) Gather what you need:
a. At least 2 towels large enough to wrap around her, plus several smaller towels to soak up water.
b. Ideally a second person to hold her. If no one is available, a couple of bag clips or hemostats or safety pins to hold the towel in place.
c. Ideally, some xylocaine gel as a local anesthetic to numb the area. Lidocaine gel or Oragel will work as well.
d. Some KY jelly (not the kind that "creates sensations"). If none available, some other type of lubricant like Vaseline or Bag Balm or even vegetable oil or mineral oil or a dilute mild soap. Ideally, it should be around body temp, but definitely not ice cold, or too hot.
e. Some rubber gloves. If none available, be sure your fingernails are short, with no rough spots, and your hands are washed.
f. Warm water. I usually get several containers of water, because I always seem to need clean water after I've gotten it dirty.
g. Something soft to wash the prolapse with. Cotton balls, a baby washcloth, a cut up t-shirt, anything soft and clean that won't shred.
h. A mild liquid antiseptic soap, diluted at least 1:4 with water, or regular liquid soap, or dishwashing detergent if that's all that's available.
i. You may not need it, but have some white sugar available (about 1/4-1/2 cup).
j. Preparation H, or other hemorrhoidal cream. If you don't have any now, you can get it and use it tomorrow.
k. A non-slip surface. I like the "rubber mesh" shelf liners, but anything that is clean and will prevent her from slipping will do.
l. Scissors to cut some feathers.
m. Possibly a hair dryer.
n. Possibly, dilute betadine (dilute in warm water, to the color of weak to medium tea, not strong tea). Chlorhexidene, diluted at least 1:30 in water, can also be used.

3. If you don't have a second person to help, you will probably need to work on the floor with her head in a corner. I've done this with a towel wrapped around the bird (to control her wings) and fastened on with clips. Then I put the bird's head in a corner and drape a second large towel over her, with the ends of the towel on the floor on each side of the bird. Then I sit behind the bird, put a foot on each end of the towel, with her between my knees. Don't pull the towel down so tight that she can't stand up, but enough that she can't jump away or turn around. (It's sooo much easier with a second person!) If a bird is really sick, or just very cooperative, you can sometimes restrain them adequately by putting them in a box or laundry basket -- one just big enough for them to stand in but not turn around, with a top on it, but only the one side where their butt sticks out is open. However she's restrained, be sure that she's got a towel around her to control her wings, and that a non-slip surface is underneath her so she is less likely to hurt herself.

4. Put the rubber gloves on, apply the xylocaine/lidocaine/orogel over the entire prolapse and wait about 5 minutes for it to take effect. It should completely numb the area. The hen will not feel the prolapse go back in (at least not as much) and will stop straining to push it back out.

5. While you're waiting for the area to get numb, gently cut away any feathers that are in your way, but don't go overboard. Preserve as many as possible. Be very careful not to cut the tissue.

6. Very gently wash away any debris that is stuck to the tissue. Use the dilute soap if needed, and be sure to rinse afterwards. Do not put it back inside with anything stuck to it. If it has been pecked at by other birds or is covered in filth, or otherwise appears likely to be infected, soak it in the dilute betadine for 3-4 minutes, then rinse.

7. Apply KY or other lubricant to the prolapse and gently work it back inside. If it is too swollen to go back inside, apply sugar to it and wait 10-15 minutes. The sugar will draw water out of it and it should shrink down to a size where it can be pushed back inside. Rinse the sugar off before putting the prolapse back in.

8. Once the prolapse is back inside, put a small amount of Preparation H in after it, and on the vent.

9. If the feathers are wet, use the hair dryer to dry the area. Be sure that the dryer isn't blowing out air that is too cold or too hot, just warm.

10. In about 4 hours, gently clean the vent (if needed) and reapply the Preparation H to the outside of the vent. Repeat this once daily for another week.

11. Isolate her from all other birds for about 7-10 days. If she prolapses again, the other birds tend to peck at the prolapse and can cause severe damage or death. During this time, be sure she is kept on clean bedding.

12. Encourage the hen to drink water, but reduce her food to less than 1/5 of normal for at least a week to try to stop egg production. She can have plenty of greens though.

13. In addition to food restriction, reduce her light exposure to less than 4 hours of light per day for at least a week. This will usually stop her egg production, which is vital for now. It may be enough to cause her to molt. Don't be concerned if that happens.

14. If the prolapse looked really bad, you might consider taking her to the vet afterwards to get some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication. Clavamox (antibiotic) and meloxicam (anti-inflammatory), along with several other options, are very effective in most cases, but not always necessary.

14. If you've gotten to her in time, most hens with a prolapsed oviduct will be fine and can be returned to the flock in 10 days (some that progress really well can go back in 7 days, but no sooner).

15. Many hens will only prolapse once and never again, but some will prolapse repeatedly. Known causes of prolapse are starting to lay eggs too young, laying eggs that are too big, or a hen being too fat. If she is very young, you can restrict her to less than 8 hours of light a day to prevent her from laying until she is older. If she is too fat then she should have her food restricted, but she can have lots of greens. I don't know of anything that can be done to reduce egg size. Some hens will prolapse without any of these things applying to them, but just aren't put together well enough inside to be able to lay eggs properly. Those hens should not be used for breeding. If she is a beloved pet, she can have surgery to remove the oviduct. It is a major surgery, but it will usually stop her from ovulating. If she is not a beloved pet and she repeatedly prolapses, she should be culled.

I hope this helps. I know it's a really scary thing to have to do, but farmers have been doing it successfully for years. Just be gentle, but decisive. It will be much less painful to her once you, or your vet, gets the prolapse back inside. Good luck.

 

[racinchickins]

2013 was my first year raising turkeys. I really enjoyed them, and am looking forward to increasing my flock in 2014.

It's been a bit of a learning curve, and I've found out a few things.

1. Get birds earlier. I didn't get any poults until June. I just processed some, and the tom was 16lbs and the hens around 8. I want bigger birds for next year.
2. Turkeys are great birds. Much more personable and curious than my chickens.
3. It is fine to raise the young turkeys with chickens. I had no issues there at all. But once they get to be a bit bigger than the chickens, I had to separate them. They attacked several and almost killed one of my better laying hens. Not sure why they can live with a bird for months, then decide it is the enemy.
4. Free ranging turkeys fly. If you don't want them on your car, your barn, your roof, etc... don't let them out. Keep your garage doors shut, they have no issues with entering your garage and climbing all over your vehicles and other equipment, happily pooping everywhere they go. They will even fly into your dog run and chase the dogs
5. Catching a grown tom who doesn't want to be caught is MUCH harder than a chicken. Getting your hands on him is only the start of your problems, not the end of them as it is with a rooster. Those big wings hurt!

As far as how to apply the learning to 2014....

1. Just to throw this out. As soon as January hits, I am in the market for hatching eggs. Preference is White Holland or Beltsville/Midget White, but wouldn't overlook a deal on other varieties. Keep me in mind if you have any, and I'll be watching here for posts of people who have eggs for sale.
2. Turkeys are great...get more!
3. I've got my brooding/growing out strategy set, and my pens built. No more frantic building to separate birds that suddenly don't get along.
4. Pens are built. Just need to remember to shut the darn garage door when I decide to let the turkeys take a promenade around the property.
5. Planning ahead is everything. It is much easier to lift a bird off the roost at night than to chase it around a pen in the daytime!

 

[DraigAthar]

Hi, I'm new to turkeys! Can I play? Last summer, we bought two midget whites from zeiki (here on BYC). We'd never had turkeys before, only chickens (we raise Dominiques). We bought the two thinking we'd raise them up and one would be Thanksgiving while the other would be Christmas. We named them Turkish and Tommy. Turkish was 8 weeks old and Tommy was 6 weeks old. Well, Turkish turned out to be male and Tommy female, so she became Taffy and we decided to keep them over the winter to see if we could get any fertile eggs out of them for hatching. And thus out turkey adventure has begun.

1. I have no idea, heh.
2. Taffy laid her very first egg two days ago. By my reckoning, she's 29 weeks old. I thought it seemed a little early, but it's definitely a turkey egg and she's the only turkey hen I have. We cracked it for breakfast to see if it was fertile, and it is not. Not yet, anyway.
3. I only have the one pair of midget whites, so that's all I'll be trying to raise. Unless I get brave and pick up some hatching eggs from someone else to go along with anything Taffy might lay for me.
4. 1:1. Not ideal, I know. But so far I haven't seen Taffy let Turkish breed her at all, she's playing hard to get. It's not for lack of strutting on his part, though!
5. Not sure yet. Maybe a couple dozen at maximum. I have some coworkers interested in poults, so if I can raise a few for my freezer and a few to sell, i guess I'll be doing well for my first attempt. Cross your fingers for me ...
6. Nope.
7. Dunno yet. Maybe?
8. Yes, I love to incubate eggs myself.
9. Hard to say. Since I only have the one hen, if she goes broody too quickly I'm not going to get a lot of fertile eggs out of her! But I also like to let momma hens do what they do best, when the timing works for me.
10. Yes, poults, probably just to the couple of coworkers who have asked.
11. Never tried fermented feed. I get multi-flock pellets from the local feed store, and pasture them when the season allows.
12. The turkey pair are currently living with the chickens, but I have several smaller coops I use for broodies or small breeding groups. Taffy seems to have already chosen one of them, because she laid her first egg in one of the tiny coops, heh.
13. I'd love it if I could get at least 6 turkeys into the freezer this year.
14. This is my first year, so it's all new to me!

Oh, and here's a pic of Turkish and Taffy for you.

 

[DraigAthar]

Here's one more photo of them, hubby set this photo up on Thanksgiving day, haha.

 

[SilkieSensation]

The turkeys are fertile! Everything laid since the 22nd is developing. I have slates & slate/palm crosses right now. I lost my palm tom last night to a sparring injury from the slate tom that I didn't catch in time.

I had let my ex come back briefly to give him 1 last chance. He was supposed to be taking care of the birds. I noticed my palm tom acting lethargic & asked JJ to check him over. He lied & said he did then told me Henry was fine. My daughter came in screaming yesterday morning that we had a dead turkey. He wasn't yet & I tried to save him but he didn't make it through the night.

On top of that, he totaled my car yesterday & then copped an attitude with me & my daughter both this morning. He found himself with a 40+ mile walk to his nearest relative this morning.

 

[Penny Hen]

I use an approximately 15 gallon plastic tub. I put my four largest pots on the stove filled with hot water and bring them up to 160°F, pour them into the plastic tub and then dunk the turkey in the scalding water. After cleaning the turkey I fill the tub with cold water, add salt and the turkey and let soak for 8 hours or over night.

Let me tell you about the Handy, Dandy, Little Giant Giant Bucket Heater!..."

(for all you Daffy Duck fans)
This is a bucket heater that will take five gallons of water to 170˚ in 10 minutes. It is Model 724G Bucket Heater made by Allied Precision Ind., Elburn, IL 60119. Tractor Supply carries it in winter but I was looking for it out of season and had to order it online from a horse supply company in the Midwest. I'd tell you the name but it is escaping me at the moment.

If you don't have running hot water at the barn this is a must! Never have to haul pails of hot water out of the house again. Get really filthy and don't want to track it back into the house to get clean? Viola! Hot water and a bar of soap and you can stand to grab the doorknob again. Doctoring or washing that animal that is too large to take inside the house? All the hot washing water you need. Never have to give your horses cold showers again. And now since I know that scalding temperature is 160˚ I am going to try it out on the mean rooster that I am inviting to Sunday dinner.

You can get BIG plastic tubs with rope handles for about $10 at the Dollar General Store. They don't last more than about a year if you leave them out in the full sunshine though. They hold around 20 gallons so it will take this device a little longer than 10 minutes to bring it up to temperature.

 

[chicken pickin]

What type of Turkey is that? Any way to tell males from females and at what age can you tell?

This is a Bourbon Red.

There are many ways to tell male from female and most people including me will tell others that 12 weeks is a good age to start seeing the differences.

At 12+ weeks of age you will start to notice the following

Toms are balding on the head while females are keeping a Mohawk(strip of hair up the back of her head).

Toms snood (the fleshy bump above its beak) will start to grow and retract while females have a small snood that does not grow in size with her mood. Also males snoods are wider at the base and taper toward the tip(think unicorn horn) and females tend to have a small snood that is the same width from base to tip.

Also another tell tale sign for toms are gobbling which females do not do and also toms faces will start to change color pink/ red / blue / purple/ white. Females faces are pink and occasionally red.

Caruncles (the bumps on the neck) will be much larger and cover more area on neck of a Tom. Females have smaller and less area coverage of caruncles.

You cant really go by strutting or beards since both males and females can strut and grow beards.

I hope this helps.

 

[gevshiba]

Good idea, maybe I could sell one hen at 4 times the going rate and throw in my extra three Jakes... I Wish I was as hard hearted as I like to think I can be, I would just eat one or two.

You shouldn't think of eating your birds as being hard hearted. It's practical. It's what they are for. I enjoy my birds a lot. I love my birds. But I raise them to eat. I'd love to sell every extra one I have, but then I'm right back to buying grocery store meat and I'm not doing that. Killing anything is hard. I keep trying to find the fastest way to dispatch the birds because I can't think of them suffering. But I do butcher them. I never butchered anything before, although my dad hunted and we raised a couple cows when I was a kid. My aunt & uncle had a farm with chickens, pigs and cows. I guess I grew up knowing they were for food, but never gave it a lot of thought. I had an experienced friend butcher my first birds while I watched. Then I helped her with some of her chickens. Next time, I did my own birds by myself. I wouldn't ever criticize someone who absolutely couldn't butcher, but please don't call me hard hearted because I do. It's one of the hardest parts of keeping livestock.

 

[turkeyfarmer65]