5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[Frankie Ruiz]

ive never raised turkeys but ive always wanted too... is it hard to hatch the eggs? ive heard of people not having the greatest hatch rates with them. and if i raise bourbon reds, around when is it good time to harvest them? i dont want the meat to get all rough! definitely a consideration come spring. raising my own turkeys would be an awesome little adventure

 

[ronott1]

ive never raised turkeys but ive always wanted too... is it hard to hatch the eggs? ive heard of people not having the greatest hatch rates with them. and if i raise bourbon reds, around when is it good time to harvest them? i dont want the meat to get all rough! definitely a consideration come spring. raising my own turkeys would be an awesome little adventure

I set two turkey eggs and hatched two Turkeys!

They as so cute and friendly. They need more help for the first couple of days after they hatch and they take a week longer to hatch. It is recommended to hatch chickens with them to be tutors for the turkey poults, so set the Turkey eggs and then set the chicken eggs a week later.

 

[chicken pickin]

ive never raised turkeys but ive always wanted too... is it hard to hatch the eggs? ive heard of people not having the greatest hatch rates with them. and if i raise bourbon reds, around when is it good time to harvest them? i dont want the meat to get all rough! definitely a consideration come spring. raising my own turkeys would be an awesome little adventure

Hatching eggs is pretty much the same as chickens eggs. Ive had a little harder time with them but I think that is due to it being my first year hatching turkey eggs and also lots of my eggs were infertile due to my turkeys being young and not doing the deed well lol. So I cant really say one way or another. This upcoming season my turks will be pros at getting their eggs fertile and I anticipate hatching MANY poults.

They say 6-7 months is a good time to harvest for Thanksgiving, that way you hatch it in spring and Process in the fall, so no over wintering. I just processed a 6 month old bourbon red tom a few days ago and his dressed weight was 14lbs not as big as I would have liked but he was for a customer who was only feeding a family of 5 for dinner so it worked well for them. Alot of people will tell you processing at a more mature age like 12-18 months will give you more meat and better flavor. Turkeys are unlike chicken where the meat gets tougher with age, turkey meat will still be tender at a mature age.

 

[Cynthia12]

 

[chiqita]

I wish my other half would let me raise a turkey for Thanksgiving, but he wont

Turkeys are very hard to not To get attached to. We got eggs to hatch for this thanksgiving. Cranberries is sitting outside as we speak with 3 girls and we are eating torched rib roast for thanksgiving.

I set two turkey eggs and hatched two Turkeys!

They as so cute and friendly. They need more help for the first couple of days after they hatch and they take a week longer to hatch. It is recommended to hatch chickens with them to be tutors for the turkey poults, so set the Turkey eggs and then set the chicken eggs a week later.

Ron is a hatching god never believe him!!
I had trouble with shipped hatching turkey eggs. I started boring a hole in the top for air once they were internally pipped a n d keeping it really moist.

 

[Penny Hen]

Thanks! And you are not the only egg-aholics it take a dozen just to fix breakfast around here.

I have a recipe book titled 300 Ways to Cook Eggs.

 

[ronott1]

Turkeys are very hard to not To get attached to. We got eggs to hatch for this thanksgiving. Cranberries is sitting outside as we speak with 3 girls and we are eating torched rib roast for thanksgiving.
Ron is a hatching god never believe him!!
I had trouble with shipped hatching turkey eggs. I started boring a hole in the top for air once they were internally pipped a n d keeping it really moist.

That is a great tip!

A hole at the big end is a good idea for chickens that have internal pipped but hatch late too.

 

[tadpole98]

Not yet

 

[msladyhawke]

I have a recipe book titled 300 Ways to Cook Eggs.

I need that book! Love eggs. Off to look for it on Amazon....

 

[tadpole98]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-NPIP-MIL...d=100005&prg=8344&rk=4&rkt=5&sd=121222011297& What does everyone think? I wanna show these. They look good? Even if they dont look "perfect" i think i want to hatch these for the hatchalong