I used to have some BSL running around here for eggs so I would guess the barring may have come from them? I just have no idea where the blue came from. I can't tell sex yet and am wondering if it may be sex linked? I may put them in a breeding pen to see what I can get from them.
I think the problem is the size of the barrel compared to the shape of the turkey, they just can't roll around in there. This year I raised Standard bronze turkeys and they were a no go at 10 lbs. I seem to have the same problem with the larger Muscovys. So I still do some plucking by hand, but...
I've had this a about a year now and have plucked somewhere around 200 birds with it. I usually do 3 birds a week but many weeks I have done 6 birds at a time, so its hard for me to put an exact number on it.
I am using a Kitchener. I use mine nearly every week. It does a great job. I can do an overgrown CornishX with it, But I can't seem to manage a turkey with it.
OK, here is what I have. The first is what I am calling chipmunk. it is feathering out as expected.
The next one is the strange one that I called a swirl. Now I wish I had taken a pic a week ago on this one. I will not cull this just yet, maybe not at all. We will see.
The white chicks...
Well, now you have me thinking. How long would one have to wait to be sure the eggs are fertilized by the chosen male? Two weeks? one month? I think they are done laying for the year so I will have to continue this project in the spring when they start up again.
So a while back I acquired these.
About a week later they started laying eggs for me. Every egg they lay goes to the incubator. So now I have some of these.
Seems like I am getting 3 different types of chicks. Some hatch white, others hatch with some swirled color and then some hatch white...
I do the same thing here. Everything gets started on 30% gamebird starter and then gets fed a 22% all flock pellet. Near the end I will mix in some cracked corn to add some fat to my meat birds.