Turkey Talk for 2014

[bogie49]

hello,
I'm a new member, I decided to raise some turkeys this year, I researched quite a bit and BYC seemed to be the best overall place to go. My new flock started two weeks ago and finished this week include 4 10 week old birds, they are 3 rio grandes and 1 red bourboun. 2 6 week old birds 1 red bourbon and 1 blue slate, and 6 4 week old birds, they include 2 white hollands and 4 spanish blacks. I'm raising them in enclosed pheasant pens with a 30X30 run.

Any and all advice is welcome, right now my 10 week olds are still on a 28% protein pellet (I think they should be switched to grain soon, and my others are on a 28% crumble.

Thanks all for the great website and very informative informatio!

 

[Bill1234]

I am fairly new to chickens and have thought about getting turkeys. Where can you get turkeys and how long does it take the turkeys to grow until they are ready to butcher.

 

[Pretty Chickens]

I think the turkeys were sick. I have my turkey with 2 hens a rooster and the turkey. I have them in a box inside, they are to small to have them free range. I will leave them inside until they have all there feathers. I will first put them in a cage outside. Here it is always hot so the weather will be fine. But free range is difficult for these young birds. You really don't know what they are eating.

 

[CherMoz]

hello,
I'm a new member, I decided to raise some turkeys this year, I researched quite a bit and BYC seemed to be the best overall place to go. My new flock started two weeks ago and finished this week include 4 10 week old birds, they are 3 rio grandes and 1 red bourboun. 2 6 week old birds 1 red bourbon and 1 blue slate, and 6 4 week old birds, they include 2 white hollands and 4 spanish blacks. I'm raising them in enclosed pheasant pens with a 30X30 run.

Any and all advice is welcome, right now my 10 week olds are still on a 28% protein pellet (I think they should be switched to grain soon, and my others are on a 28% crumble.

Thanks all for the great website and very informative informatio!

Welcome Bogie49! A lot of great advice can be found just by reading through this thread. It takes a while, but it is time well spent.

 

[CherMoz]

I am fairly new to chickens and have thought about getting turkeys. Where can you get turkeys and how long does it take the turkeys to grow until they are ready to butcher.

Reading through this thread will give you a lot of great information, including where you can get turkeys and how long the breed of turkeys you end up getting take to reach process time. Another thing to consider with chickens and turkeys is the possibility of your turkeys contracting blackhead disease.

 

[Pretty Chickens]

I am sorry. I have my little ones still inside. I think they are to small. My turkey thinks he's rooster and get along very well. I don't know anything about turkeys so they gave him to me for 3.00. And I took him with my chicks. He must be a mix' but a really don't know. But he's cute.

 

[CherMoz]

I sent a picture of my turkey But I don't know the breed. What do you think? I am very new at this and I don't know much about computers. So it doesn't come out the way I would like it to.

What a pretty turkey poult! Is your poult eating and drinking?

 

[Pretty Chickens]

Yes, he is like the chicks.

 

[SA Farm]

yes they are three weeks now, I bought them with my neighbor from murray mc murray hatchery. they have 15 min so she took 8 and five of hers died in the first week within 24 hrs! then the following week also within 24 hrs 2 of mine died, she called the hatchery and they said that the would credit her some birds, but none of their breeds of turkeys are laying well and there wont be any more until next year. also they said that it was because they were free ranging with the chickens they died. id but it seems weird that they have 8 species of turkey for sale that usually lay until fall and none of them are expecting any more fertile eggs this year? what do you think?

Turkeys can be very delicate at first. They can easily get chilled and their immune systems aren't very strong at first. Shipping is very stressful on any type of bird and losses are common. Using electrolytes and as stress-free an environment as possible for the first while is usually recommended. Turkeys can need some coddling

Fertility and laying rates do go down the later it is in the season, so while they may have a few turkeys laying, they may have other orders to fill first or could be having a hard time with hatch rates or other problems such as broody or molting hens.

 

[CherMoz]

yes they are three weeks now, I bought them with my neighbor from murray mc murray hatchery. they have 15 min so she took 8 and five of hers died in the first week within 24 hrs! then the following week also within 24 hrs 2 of mine died, she called the hatchery and they said that the would credit her some birds, but none of their breeds of turkeys are laying well and there wont be any more until next year. also they said that it was because they were free ranging with the chickens they died. id but it seems weird that they have 8 species of turkey for sale that usually lay until fall and none of them are expecting any more fertile eggs this year? what do you think?

Very pretty! I'm sorry you lost some.

Turkey poults are very fragile. Have you read through this thread? There is some very good information here. My turkey hens have all gone broody now and are not laying eggs, as well as my tom not displaying and doing what he does, in addition to it being the time of year it is (very hot in some parts of the country) so it is probably true that they will not have anymore fertile eggs. In regard to your turkeys running with your chickens, they may be referring to diseases fatal to turkeys (blackhead, for one) which chickens can be carriers of but not be sick.