A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

Well Ralph, if the chickens are too small/young to show then you'll have to show turkeys!! Maybe you could go best in show with a turkey at Hutch!!
Put your upcoming hatch into lapper training as soon as they pop out of their shells! Honestly my turkeys are easier to groom than my chickens. Just think how impressed the judges will be with a well groomed lapper!

I would need show stock, I do not have show stock at all. Mine are all descended from Ethel and JJ, or Porters, neither of which have show stock. So I will just have mutts for the fun of it.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I need to get new pictures for you guys of the penciled poults. They're growing like weeds! I also kept one bourbon red that hatched at the same time as them. The bourbon and 1 of the penciled babies are both super sweet and love to be held and snuggled. The other penciled one is already becoming a belly button and already trying to challenge me.

 

[rjohns39]

So I have a question for you folks... What should I do with my pure white Tom? He's a small RP that never penciled... Should I breed him to one of my RP hens and see what I get? or should I just process him and keep the gene pool clean? I have one black and BR hen, so they will stay with their color. I also have 3 or 4 nari and RP hens. I have one breed quality RP Tom a couple Nari's, a couple blacks and a bunch of BR Toms. I think I counted 25 Toms today, as you can tell my last hatch was predominately male. All thoughts welcome

 

[FredsGobblers]

I would process it since you are tom heavy.. Sounds like it is carrying 2 white genes instead of 2 gray genes. If it is, and you breed to a RP, you would get black winged oregon grays. They would carry 1 white gene and 1 gray gene. If kept in the gene pool you will have whites hatching down the line.
I have white in my gene pool and am trying to figure my breeding to keep whites to a minimum. Since they would not sell, they will be for my own personal food supply and processing for friends and relatives holiday dinners.
My thoughts on what you have said you have for breed stock.

 

[duluthralphie]

I would breed him... @R2elk do you know is white a gene that blocks color expression or is it a “color” gene in turkeys? Are RP’s an incomplete blocking gene?

 

[FredsGobblers]

@duluthralphie good question. I never thought to wonder if it is a blocker or actual color. I know Porter calls it a recessive white gene and Cc will give me a semi color and cgc will give me a semi gray and cc will give me a white bird.

 

[R2elk]

I would breed him... @R2elk do you know is white a gene that blocks color expression or is it a “color” gene in turkeys? Are RP’s an incomplete blocking gene?

The recessive white gene (c) when it is present as (cc) will show as white and will suppress all other color genes that are there.

 

[R2elk]

So I have a question for you folks... What should I do with my pure white Tom? He's a small RP that never penciled... Should I breed him to one of my RP hens and see what I get? or should I just process him and keep the gene pool clean? I have one black and BR hen, so they will stay with their color. I also have 3 or 4 nari and RP hens. I have one breed quality RP Tom a couple Nari's, a couple blacks and a bunch of BR Toms. I think I counted 25 Toms today, as you can tell my last hatch was predominately male. All thoughts welcome

The problem with this white turkey is the implication that you had a tom and a hen that were carrying the recessive white gene (c). He had to get one copy from his father and one copy from his mother. If you want to further introduce the white gene into your flock by all means keep breeding him. If you would rather eliminate this undesired gene from your flock I am sure he will be delicious.

 

[PolarBerry]

Anyone get textured eggs from their hens?

Like it has rough patches of more coloration.... should I try to incubate these?

I did have to wash them since they decided to lay them atop a bunch of poop from overnight... silly hens.

I followed the bleach dip/rinsing as outlined before for the NPIP ways of things. The bubbles/bumps don’t wash off.

Anyway, here are the eggs vs others laid yesterday/today. The middle two are I assume the same hen. And one is laying almost non speckled eggs now..

Only change is more grass in their diet and extra oyster shell.

 

[duluthralphie]

I get the sand paper like surfaces now and then.. Why not incubate them? What do you have to lose?