Recent content by retlaw

10 week roaster (WR) dressed 5 lbs bagged nicely in a 250mm x 450mm shrink wrap. Still had room for my hand so the bag will do a bigger bird. Bags shrink 30 to 40 % I was told.

This is the first time doing this bird and was wondering if anyone else does them and has info on the finishing weights and shrink wrap bags sizing. The breeder said 5.5 lb at 9 weeks. Is that what others are getting at that age? Dressed or undressed? And info on shrink bag sizes to weight and age?

Drunk turkey = blackhead

The bear has gone to heaven. Looked like a garbage bear which you don't want to eat. Yes, electric fencing is about the only thing that works but you need a powerful one and a very good ground. Other wise they will plow through.

Gets even better yet. Was down to last four birds from this spring.Gave a friend one for Christmas. Was leaving the last three to butcher when I needed them. Went there today to check the feed and the big tom hanged it self. Its wing some how got stuck and tangled on a rope hanging where I would...

It was a bear. Came back for more. All my problems are gone now.

Can't believe it. I was going to slaughter off the six hens and one tom that were my breeding stock tomorrow and this morning I went to the pen and a predator climbed the chain link and ripped through the bird netting on top. Five dead, one severely wounded with only one escaping damage. Its...

Also one of the four survivors is deaf. I thought it was the most sound sleeping turkey i have ever seen but it acquired that skill by being deaf. I have thought it was dead a few times already because it sleeps so sound and doesn't hear me when I come in the cope and had to touch it a few times...

Yes they are but I think it is from putting poults into the breeding stock that were helped or assisted in hatching so the malpostion genetics are being passed down along with other unwanted genetics. The breeding stock is already crossed so my thoughts are that inbreeding is not the problem...

Up date on how the hens did. One hatched out of over thirty eggs from 3 nests. It lasted about 5 days and died today. And one of the five from 107 eggs kicked the bucket last week also. So from 107eggs I tried and over 30 the hens tried I have 4 alive.

I have heard that very large turkey's can have a heart attack in a thunder storm. So any form of excitement must be removed.

Medicated feed is the product of factory farming. Very large amount of birds in a confined closed room where sickness is going to happen. Good husbandry is the key to happiness.

I agree. The fence is not to keep them in but the predators out.

The cows loved the fish chop more then any other. Ungulates eat meat when the opportunity arises. Here is a deer eating a rabbit. And a deer eating fish.

Down to 2 from the last 24 eggs. So my grand total this year is 6 live (so far) out of 107 eggs that were placed in the incubator. What a waste of time and energy. I am going to cult the flock this fall. See how I feel in the spring.