A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[OneMountainAcres]

I love how they are so pet like! I was lounging in the hammock today reading a book and Adam decided to hop up with me and snuggle up on my chest lol. He wouldn't get down until I had to get up haha! Yeah, I'm going to have problems when he's all grown up.

 

[duluthralphie]

I was watching Chicken TV co-starring some turkeys, and I noticed "sidekick" has gotten huge compared to JJ.

Any ideas why he would be so large all of a sudden? I was watching him walk and thinking he has a huge breast and would look great on a platter.

Are self blue slates larger than whatever JJ is ( rusty slate we think).

Or is it simply nutrition when they are young?

 

[chickadoodles]

Ya'll crack me up!

 

[SilkieSensation]

I was watching Chicken TV  co-starring some turkeys, and I noticed "sidekick" has gotten huge compared to JJ.

Any ideas why he would be so large all of a sudden?  I was watching him walk and thinking he has a huge breast and would look great on a platter.

Are self blue slates larger than whatever JJ is ( rusty slate we think).

Or is it simply nutrition when they are young?

My red slate tom ended up almost twice the size of my blue slate tom. I couldn't tell you what the blue slate was fed as a baby because he was about 4 months old when I got him, but I know the red slate was raised on 22-24% protein & little to no soy. As an adult he hasn't had less than 18% protein & no soy at all. He's not 2 yet but his hatchmate made a nice meal for 3 last year at Christmas at 5 months old. I'll be using 1 of the bbw for that this year but my heritage boys do seem to gain quickly on my special mix feed.

 

[memphis]

Genetics could play a part too. For instance within a litter of puppies you can have several different body types. But "twice" as big is a marked difference.

 

[R2elk]

I was watching Chicken TV co-starring some turkeys, and I noticed "sidekick" has gotten huge compared to JJ.

Any ideas why he would be so large all of a sudden? I was watching him walk and thinking he has a huge breast and would look great on a platter.

Are self blue slates larger than whatever JJ is ( rusty slate we think).

Or is it simply nutrition when they are young?

Until you weigh them, you can't really visually tell the size difference. I had several people tell me that the Blue Slate poults that I sold them last year grew to be much larger than their Self Blue father. When they were butchered they greatly over estimated the weights compared to what they actually were when they were weighed. Their butchered weights were less than what my Self Blue tom will weigh when he gets butchered. I do know that the self blues because of their lighter coloring give the appearance that they aren't as big as the Blue Slates.

The one that I can confirm is that the poults produced by a self blue tom mating with a royal palm hen grow faster and get bigger than the slates.

 

[duluthralphie]

R2elk, When I was looking at them I was wondering how much was feathers.

I know it is not a fair comparison with JJ being halfway or better through his molt and his sidekick has not even started his. Sidekick stand about 6 inches taller than JJ, but again that could be age or posture.
There is really no way for me to tell actual weights, Sidekick does not allow me to hold him. I have decided I like him and his babies are great looking so he is going to get to live another year. He will have his own hens again next spring.

 

[SilkieSensation]

My turkeys all get picked up frequently, so I notice obvious weight differences & there was several pounds between the red slate & the blue slate. The blue slate was about 10 months older, but by the time the red slate hit a year old he was obviously heavier than the blue. I keep wondering if there has a bbb hen somewhere in his lineage. He's pretty hefty for a heritage.

 

[feistychick]

Well the little ones figured out this evening that they can gang up on the cat.... Our cat must have figured that his bird karma had come back to haunt him when the babies decided that they outnumbered and could chase him

I'm pretty sure Turkules wing issue is an injury. Yesterday he started catching the bottom wing feathers on his leg when he walked, so he wouldn't walk around. DH and I decided to wrap the wing in the proper position but not bind it to his body since it's so hot out. Once the wing was wrapped he was out running around again. I unwrapped it when I got home from work today and it looks a little better, but he still can't keep the bottom folded up and he can't flap properly (hurts and he stops). I wonder what the heck he did to it?? I'll check again in the morning and see if it needs to be wrapped again. Darn turkey!

 

[duluthralphie]

Feisty I hope Terkules gets better. He sounds like a keeper to me.

Glad that cat learned it's lesson! Never mess with the gang.



I am having a bad morning. I got up went to make my coffee, I had to clean the "brewing cup" for the Keurig ( however it is spelt) Then I had no coffee ready.


One of us, is kind of fussy about coffee, I order it off Amazon. When I ordered the last batch I ordered 5 pounds. I did not know it was not ground. And to make that worse it is too light of a roast. SO before I could make coffee, I had to roast coffee in a frying pan until it was good and dark. Then I have to grind it and put it in the brewing cup I had to clean myself!

It is not going to be a good day!