Turkey Talk for 2014

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Well, it may work, or it may rip out the roof of his mouth or severely damage his tongue or the back of his throat, or he may break the line and take it with him with the hook still in his mouth, so he escapes but starves to death or dies of infection, or doesn't die but lives in constant pain. Or it may capture some other animal before it captures the turkey. Either way it's not a humane option, and should not be considered. If you want to kill him, have the guts to go out and shoot him and accept the consequences. You might get charged with hunting out of season, or even poaching, but at least you won't get charged with animal cruelty.

If you don't want to kill him but just want to stop his harassment of your tom, call your state fish and game or wildlife management department for suggestions, and to find out the regulations in your state. If they can't help, you can start with a visual barrier, such as black plastic on the fence. If that doesn't work, you can add something that would be a physical barrier that would keep him several feet away from the fence line, such as a quickly placed stretch of deer netting or electronetting, or anything else that you have around that would push him physically away from the fence line. If that's not enough, then something that is scary, such as a motion detector that activates a loud and forceful sprinkler, or a strobe light, or a loud noise, or a scarecrow that moves, or a net to capture him and take him some place else. Or borrow a dog, if you don't have one, and tie it or kennel it right outside the fence. Or hire someone to capture him for you and have them relocate him. Or go to the local zoo and get some poop from one of the big cats and sprinkle it around. There's hundreds of options, limited only by your imagination. You don't have to resort to something that could cause pain or injury. And I don't think a baseball bat is considered an acceptable form of hunting in most states, so you're back to that animal cruelty charge again, which is a felony in many states.

 

[SA Farm]

Got my very first turkey egg today!

 

[NewToFarming]

I am finding turkeys are so much fun to photograph!!! They hold still much better than Chickens! Sorry for all the pictures but had to share!!

 

[AmericanMom]

the rule around here is.. if I get to feed my addiction..my husband gets to feed his

same rule needs to apply at your place..

more birds for you
more bunnies for the husband!
(in other words.. get that man some more bunny cages.. and pick up some new bird breeds for yourself while you're at it)!

LOL.. aint that the truth...When my Dh looked around and asked if I was finally done with buying chicks or incubating eggs I only had to ask if he was done with the rabbits, or better yet, his collection of old guns and tools... I told him if he can never have enough WW2 guns I cannot have enough chickens

 

[NewToFarming]

Sorry, I didn't update you sooner but I was at work. She was no where to be found in the morning. My husband searched all day and went over to that guys place and he did not see or hear her. She was still not here when I got home from work and at some point she came back after I got home. I found her behind a crate in the barn. Now when I tell you that I looked a bazillion times behind that crate last night and this morning, I did and my husband looked there today as well and she was not there! She was setting on 2 eggs when I found her. I tried to move her to a better place but that didn't work out so well. But she is safe and sound and I still have no idea where she was all last night and today!

 

[R2elk]

Anyone cam tell me the differences between turkey types?
Thank you.

Here is a good place to start learning about heritage turkeys.

http://www.porterturkeys.com/

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
The problem with new eggs coming into the nest is that you'll end up with staggered hatches. If they're staggered by more than a few days she'll need to leave the nest to take care of the poults that are running around, so the developing embryos will die. Ideally, the original eggs are placed in the nest all at the same time, and should be marked with a circle around the middle (so the mark can be seen with the egg in any position). The nest should be checked daily or every other day, and any new (unmarked) eggs should be removed. That is especially important if she's starting to get a large number of eggs under her. If she ever gets too many to cover properly, the eggs on the edge will get too cold and die. As she shifts the eggs around, more and more will take their turn on the edge, so those will die also. So staggered hatches, and large numbers of eggs under a broody, can end with very poor hatch rates. If she's a first time broody then nine eggs is probably her max, although 6-8 is more manageable for a first-timer. If you want her to brood them, then I would mark all of them now, before any more get added by other hens (they like laying in a communal nest, and a broody will take in all eggs available). Then check daily and remove any new eggs. Since her eggs were started on many different days, her hatch will be staggered. You'll need to watch very carefully when the first poults start to hatch. Once she leaves the nest to take care of the poults, you'll need to quickly put any remaining eggs into the incubator/hatcher to keep the near-term embryos from dying.

Very exciting!!

 

[gevshiba]

Hi, all!

I have a broody bourbon red hen who I noticed was actually sticking with sitting last week. She had 2 eggs under her, so I put 3 more under her from my collection that was destined for the incubator. So she had a total of 5 eggs and has been sitting ever since. Yesterday I checked and she had 9 eggs under her, which means she's laying at the same time as she's sitting. Is this normal and will she sit until the last one hatches or just quit when she's got a few poults? I've never had a broody turkey before.

Thanks!

I have a first time BR broody hen and she's also still laying. They are her eggs. They are smaller than the BBB eggs and are developing, where the BBB eggs never develop. I have 10 of the BR eggs in the incubator that I've removed from the nest, all developing. I gave the hen 9 eggs that I got from Momhunter. 2 have been broken, one the first day and one a couple days ago (with a chick inside) and I left one of hers that was laid about the same time I gave her the eggs. She's got 12 right now, so I need to grab out the new ones. She's got 13 days to go. If she hatches any, I'll take any left and candle, then add the good ones to the incubator.

 

[piglett]

Yes, well, he's nearly 2yrs old and just started behaving like this last summer. He wasn't mean at all before.

ETA: He's also the foundation to my bantam chocolate Orp flock and still kind of important until this new cockerel can replace him. His one son is mean - also didn't start that way. His other is as docile as the hens.

using a mean rooster for beeding can give mean offspring

 

[desertmarcy]

What line are his birds from and where did he get them from. I had emailed him about this and asked of he got them from Frank Reese and the same two questions I have asked of you. he replied(the next day)to the email and told me his Beltsville were not from Frank but did not answer the other two question. I again replied to his email and asked where he got them from and their line, I have yet to get a reply(approx10 days). This was disappointing to me because I have done extensive research into the breed and trying to find a source that has True BSW. I have purchased two dozen hatching eggs from one of the sources on ebay and found another just recently that was not selling on ebay until recently. both the dozen I have bought had two eggs that did not develop at all and only got one to hatch and about three others that had any development at all from the first dozen. not horribly for shipped eggs but have talked to others with the same experience. So not to happy with him. so I was happy to see a hatchery with true BSW, but without knowing where he got them from and what line they come from i would not purchase any from him. I don't mean to be pessimistic or say anything bad about the hatchery but because these are rare and many people either believe and don't know or know and don't care their birds are not true I have been skeptical.

Duane Urch breeds BSW. Brian Decker, an APA/ABA judge, also breeds them. He posts on showbirdbid.com and is in Oregon, I believe. Brian Decker had posted that Rodney Heafs, an APA waterfowl judge who lives a little north of Urch, also has BSW that he believes are pure since his stock are descended from the birds that the USDA sent to the University of Ontario ca. many years ago. Perhaps people want to protect their source, and that is why he won't tell you where he got his from. Maybe afraid you will bypass him and buy directly from his source? Don't know.

Read more: http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/thread/2948/midget-whites#ixzz32gPrtpdX