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Never heard of that one before, we live in "down east" NC, lots of swamps and thick brush for miles, the state bird is the mosquito. Needless to say in the warmer weather we are usually ankle deep in snakes, I have never seen our turkeys pay them any mind. However the guineas will chase them...

Mutt turkeys are just like mutt chickens for meat and brooding. In a way getting a "mixed bag" is a good idea if you are new to turkeys since it allows you to raise them side by side and compare them. The different breeds do act different - some are more curious, some standoffish, etc etc. If...

Quote: To Mature it depends on the breed, the larger breeds take longer than the smaller breeds to mature Once again it depends on the breed for eggs. Our Beltsville Small White starts laying around Christmas time here in NC, followed by the Hollands, the Palms, Bourbons, Midgets started...

I just use the arms outstreatched method, it does work. They have pretty good eyesight. I do have one small problem with Annie's comment though. "You'll love turkeys once you get them!" You don't get turkeys..... They get you! Steve in NC

We have a 6 foot fence around our turkey areas and the hens can clear that with ease, the toms are to big. It's rare we have any go over, but then again they have spent their whole lives there so that is home to them. One day I didn't latch the gate to our Beltsville pen and when I can home from...

The stryofoam incubators will hatch pretty well and work for small batches. However they are sensitive to changes in room temp, I would get the one with the fan as they will give a more even temp. Under the incubating and hatching section there is alot of threads about the different 'bators. Our...

Quote: The ones for a hovabator will work but you can only use every other slot, they won't fit side by side. We use a gqf sportsman for incubators and I swear you can hatch wooden eggs in one. If you want poults let us know, this is Steve and Sharon, we talked with you at the sale at Yoders...

The biggest difference in our methods of raising turkeys is you are going for the fastest, largest weight gain to get your birds to market. We raise ours free range to preserve the heritage breeds using the APA as a guidline and also breed them to the original. The weight you stated for your...

Quote: I checked out your website and noticed you didn't list that you fed them 28% feed their whole life on there? They grow as quick as they do because of the feed not the free range. Do you feed your breeders 28% as well? Just curious as we have been raising heritage turkeys for many many...

Quote: We have had Muscovy ducks and Buff Orps. sit and hatch turkey eggs. The buffs can only cover about 4 but a Muscovy can cover about 8 or 10. With chickens it takes a good sitter as the turkey eggs take 28 days and the chickens seem to know when 18 to 20 days pass and we have had them...

The Midgets are great size for a small feast, they are our best tasting turkey by far. The Bourbon Red is our next best tasting. If you want a smaller number of turkeys you can always get hatching eggs or buy local poults, I would much rather buy from a breeder than a hatchery. main reason...

Quote: Turkey hens will start laying about 8 to 9 months old, we have some that were hatched in early spring and are just starting to lay now. They lay best in the spring and have a short season in the fall. Older hens will pretty much only lay in the spring. The weather in your area is factor...

Quote: If you order from Welp they have a minimum order of 15 per breed. If you order less than the min, then they only add a $1.50 surcharge to the order. So, it is a preferred minimum order, but you could order just 1 if you wanted to. Unless they have changed none of the hatcheries will...

Quote: The hens will yelp but it's not any more noisy than a rooster crowing. Steve in NC

Quote: Of the breeds that we have the Beltsville's are the most standoffish, The Bourbons and Standard Bronze are the most curious (to the point of being a pest) The Midgets are curious but not in your face like the BR's or Bronze. The Hollands are pretty friendly but will keep their distance...

Quote: Yes the Beltsville White can reproduce naturally, they are actually the best laying of all our breeds. Steve in NC

Quote: Good for you!!!!!!!!!!! "everybody loves a turkey" Steve in NC

Quote: Shush... don't type that so loud. We raise ours together with chickens, ducks, geese, guineas and peafowl. We have a 100+ turkey breeders and have never had any problems. So please don't tell them they shouldn't be with the rest of the birds. Seriously, the chickens can pass blackhead...

Quote: We raise our turkeys with the chickens, ducks, geese and guineas. Also, we brood them the same, the turkeys do need a higher protien starter feed than chickens. We use 28% game birds starter for the first 3 months, then 21% for the next 3 months, after that they eat 16 layer mash with...

Quote: We have raised BB Whites in the past and yes they do finish quickly. They also eat like pigs to gain weight that fast. However taste wise they don't hold a candle to a heritage turkey. The Americian Livestock Breeds Conservancy did a blind taste test in 2008 and the heritage won hands...