A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[rjohns39]

@R2elk ok, I have three Toms left... 1 black, 1 nari and 1 BR. For hens I have black, br, rp and nari. I can't afford to do good feed and new stock. So I'm thinking about moving the BR Tom in with all the hens and let the cards fall where they may. Biggest risk is this guy didn't get the deed done last year. If he is successful this year, what could I expect? I can go back to pure varieties later. I've decided to hold my BBWs until spring just cause I don't want to process 6 pound birds in freezing temps. I'm also convinced my problem with growth is my feed. I've got three 24 week old heritage birds in with them and they look about the size of a six week old.

If I would be smarter to use the Nari, let me know as he's been more successful at getting the job done and doesn't tear up the hens.

 

[memphis]

If you need, get a hen saddle. You know who makes them (Aurora). I feed an 18% layer feed. My girls are fat & fluffy. Its a commercial feed. Don't care about non GMO.

Interested in R2elks opinion. Ralph & Aurora are pretty good with genetics too....

 

[R2elk]

@R2elk ok, I have three Toms left... 1 black, 1 nari and 1 BR. For hens I have black, br, rp and nari. I can't afford to do good feed and new stock. So I'm thinking about moving the BR Tom in with all the hens and let the cards fall where they may. Biggest risk is this guy didn't get the deed done last year. If he is successful this year, what could I expect? I can go back to pure varieties later. I've decided to hold my BBWs until spring just cause I don't want to process 6 pound birds in freezing temps. I'm also convinced my problem with growth is my feed. I've got three 24 week old heritage birds in with them and they look about the size of a six week old.

If I would be smarter to use the Nari, let me know as he's been more successful at getting the job done and doesn't tear up the hens.

BR tom x Black = Rusty Black
BR tom x RP = Red Bronze
BR tom x Narragansett = Red Bronze

Narragansett tom x Black = Light tipped Barred Black hens and Barred Black toms
Narragansett tom x RP = Narragansett Semi_Color Semi-Gray
Narragansett tom x BR = Golden Narragansett hens and Red Bronze toms

This does not include the hidden recessive genes that the offspring will be carrying.

If I had a tom and he did not produce any poults (fertile eggs), he would be culled and not given another chance.

Your Narragansett tom is a proven breeder and gives you the advantage of sex linked poults when crossed with the Bourbon Red hens. You should be able to visibly sex the poults at hatch with the Golden Narragansett being all females and the Red Bronze being all males.

I suspect that your weight gain problem is not due to the quality of your feed but is due to the quantity of your feed.

I start my poults with a quality turkey starter. It helps and gives them a good boost to start out. I don't follow the recommended 6 weeks of turkey starter. Mine usually get the starter for 2 weeks followed by 2 weeks of a quality turkey grower. After that they all get the layer feed that the adults and chickens get plus free range unless I am in a situation where I can keep them separated and have starter or grower left over that I need to get rid of.

The main thing is that all of my poultry have free access to feed all of the time.

I know that you feed in the morning and at other times of the day but it isn't the same as them having full access to the feed all the time.

 

[memphis]

Mine have 24/7 access too. Daisy eats breakfast at first light. Annie likes brunch. They do eat at different times. That's one reason I leave it out all the time. This time of year they are eating a lot. Little porkers!

 

[memphis]

Rjohns....Golded Naragannset...pretty tempting!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Mine have 24/7 access too. Daisy eats breakfast at first light. Annie likes brunch. They do eat at different times. That's one reason I leave it out all the time. This time of year they are eating a lot. Little porkers!

Mine are on strike,,,,

they do not like the new Free Spent Brewers Grain I stumbled onto... They want the expensive stuff.... They will learn to like it. The Brewers grain has higher protein content and is better for them. They still get grains on side but only after the protein (brewers grain) is gone.

 

[memphis]

Ralph...my girls can be picky about eating food they've never tried before. I'll hold it out to them and while they are inspecting it a chicken usually steals it.

 

[CindyinSD]

I'll hold it out to them and while they are inspecting it a chicken usually steals it.

 

[Phill98]

Hi everyone!
I have been interested in turkeys in a long time and I just decided I would like to get some maybe this spring or the one after.

And I need some advice! I would like to hear from you if you would suggest me getting heritage or commercial breed for first time owning. I do have some experience since my grandma had them for a long time, but I have never kept them myself.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Hi everyone!
I have been interested in turkeys in a long time and I just decided I would like to get some maybe this spring or the one after.

And I need some advice! I would like to hear from you if you would suggest me getting heritage or commercial breed for first time owning. I do have some experience since my grandma had them for a long time, but I have never kept them myself.

Welcome to the journey to turkeydom! Once you get them, you'll never want to go without them!
I recommend heritage all the way! Turkeys are absolutely wonderful and amazing companions. Even if you plan to eat them, a heritage Tom is usually plenty big enough to feed an average family by about 7-8 months old