A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Finnie]

I let the sun in when I can. I would like to get them on wheels so I could roll them out.  I might have to find a vitamin D supplement for them. I have thought about the need for sun.  Which is why I set Cuddles in the sunshine today. 

We have the same issue with breeding caged birds. My bird room is in my basement. I eventually went to fluorescent light fixtures in the ceiling with special UV producing tubes in them. But I also supplement with vitamin D and calcium in their water. What I use is called Cal-D-Solve. I've never checked to see if it would be economical to use for poultry. There may be something better on the market that would come in larger quantities.

 

[Finnie]

Everyone is talking about chicks hatching, so now I'm getting the bug. I wasn't going to set any eggs until spring. But a hawk got one of my favorite pullets on Wednesday.

My only Mille Fleur Leghorn hybrid. She was a beautiful red girl. So yesterday I sat the only two eggs I had left from her, just in case they were fertile, and a few others to keep them company.

 

[CherMoz]

Everyone is talking about chicks hatching, so now I'm getting the bug. I wasn't going to set any eggs until spring. But a hawk got one of my favorite pullets on Wednesday.

My only Mille Fleur Leghorn hybrid. She was a beautiful red girl. So yesterday I sat the only two eggs I had left from her, just in case they were fertile, and a few others to keep them company.

Good luck with with the hatch!

 

[memphis]

Finnie...what kind of birds do you raise? Was it budgies??

 

[Finnie]

Everyone is talking about chicks hatching, so now I'm getting the bug. I wasn't going to set any eggs until spring. But a hawk got one of my favorite pullets on Wednesday.

My only Mille Fleur Leghorn hybrid. She was a beautiful red girl. So yesterday I sat the only two eggs I had left from her, just in case they were fertile, and a few others to keep them company.

Good luck with with the hatch!

Thanks!

 

[Finnie]

Finnie...what kind of birds do you raise? Was it budgies??

Yes, budgies. And also finches and Bourke's parakeets. I have some cockatiels, too, but have not gotten any babies from them. I'm thinking I'll just sell out of those.

 

[memphis]

What are the differences between the Bourkes & Budgies? Do you prefer one over another for a pet? What colors do you raise? Do you hand raise? Just curious...sort of interested in getting a caged bird...maybe....

 

[Bantambird]

I just set 12 turkey eggs for my Esther. She wanted to hatch for the science fair, so I am having her take notes every day as we go, from egg gathering to hatch.

 

[Finnie]

What are the differences between the Bourkes & Budgies? Do you prefer one over another for a pet? What colors do you raise? Do you hand raise? Just curious...sort of interested in getting a caged bird...maybe....

Well, you kind of can't go wrong with a budgie (common parakeet found in stores). It's one of the reasons they are probably the most popular pet bird the world over. All the bird species have their pluses and minuses, just like the different dog breeds. Depends on what appeals to each person.

Bourke's are a different species, and what's good about them is they are fairly quiet. They are active at dusk and dawn, but sleep all afternoon. So for people who work all day, that is good. They are gentle and can be extremely personable if they are hand raised, but difficult to tame if they are raised by their parents. And they can't really learn to talk. (Although even talking species aren't guaranteed to learn it either.)

Bourke's poop can be a little bit sloppy, so the budgies have them beat there, because budgie poops are small and firm and are practically dry when they land. Easy to flick right off most surfaces if you let them finish drying first. These are valid considerations when you let a bird ride around on your shoulder.

I sometimes hand raise the budgies. The Bourke's are trickier to breed, and I haven't yet wanted to disturb a mother by taking her babies. This will be my last year breeding caged birds. It's pretty labor intensive and I've been doing it for 8 years now. I got sucked in by their genetics, and I've produced almost every color possible in budgies. Getting chickens in 2014 was my downfall, because i could really go wild with THOSE genetics! So now I want to focus on outdoor birds. And those are WAY more labor intensive! But at least the mess is all outside.

 

[Finnie]

I just set 12 turkey eggs for my Esther. She wanted to hatch for the science fair, so I am having her take notes every day as we go, from egg gathering to hatch.

That will be a great science fair project. And taking notes is vital for referring back to. Keep us posted on the progress!