A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

I don't know if an axe qualifies as 'natural' causes

I think it does in November for a turkey.

 

[memphis]

Ron I have no idea. Is he in a coop?

Ralphie. ..that's a huge bird! Do birds that big fit into an oven? Will you have to freeze him before Thanksgiving? I'm assuming he's invited to Thanksgiving.

Turkules is probably just going through that adolescent stage. I like the picture of him visiting the hens.

Can't wait to see a picture of Adam displaying. He's so big it's hard to realize he's just a 6 month old baby! Your girls are going to love him!

I saw an owl decoy that moves it head. It was on a roof of a hotel. Took me a minute to realize it was fake. Not sure if it was battery or solar operated, but there was not electrical running to it. It did fake me out, probably wouldn't phase a turkey!

Got the leaf blower out this afternoon. Didn't seem to bother the turkeys much. I set it down & had to run into the house....when I came back out they were both standing on it. I also got a small tree staked. Then watched Annie (the Bourbon Red ) play with it for an hour. She is so nosey!!

 

[RetiredRon]

I have Tom in a cage inside so I can watch him to make sure he is eating. Blackie, my chicken I got out of it Friday, I think, hasnt left her tractor. . She and her 4 month pullet is staying inside.. I have tried to get her to come out, but after the rooster gets to ber, she just hids under something. They seem happier in their little coup.
I hope they come out of it... Does anyone know what kind of internal damage they might have from the electric fence?
They are free range. My neighbor has a dog in a pen that has two strans about 4 and 7 inches off the ground..

I have no clue why eityer of them were in there. There was a hawk in the area shortly before i found Blackie Friday. She is grown but still a small chicken. I was thinking he had something to do with it.
Tom though???... His sister, Curly was in there too, and Larry was out side the fence.... both pacing frantically. ... chirping a crazy chirp like when they see a hawk close...
Thats actually how I found him.. My rooster, Darkie, was crowing consecutively, which has been meaning a hawk or someone is around... I came out and didnt see the turkeys. . I tben saw Larry. . As i got closer i could hear them and saw them pacing so i knew something was wrong. He was at Curlys feet inside the fence.. I thought he was dead... he wasnt moving, and dindnt for a while after I picked him up.

I wonder where you would get one of those owls? I wonder if that would help with my hawks?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

You two were suppose to ask what the natural cause was...

It was natural this time of year for a BBB. An axe fell on his neck..

I do not have an accurate weight yet, but it will be around 28-29 pounds based on the bathroom scale.  He was having troubles walking and seemed weak so I processed him early.

Haha! That didn't even cross my mind lol. I guess it should have though sorry he was having troubles but that is a big bird!

 

[mountain mom]

Ralph, is that dressed out?! Nice work!!
Sorry to hear it was an early "natural cause" death. Dinner was one of those too... obviously since it was a month ago now.
His reason was that he was too dang big. No health issues, whatsoever. Just dressing out at 35 lbs being too big for my oven!

I fed him cracked corn the last 2 weeks, but he was still nothing but meat and a bones. No fat.

Really, it was a ploy for my kitchen remodel to happen sooner... didn't work. I will not have a bigger oven this year for Thanksgiving. I have even tried breaking the glass top... apparently that is replaceable.
Sigh. I love the mountain home we have... but boy do I miss my big and new kitchen we left behind.

Anyhow, guess what worked...

The owl in the roosting spot! I have two turkeys in a tree!!!!

You can get the head moving owl things at Wal-Mart in the summer. Otherwise I bet Amazon.
The one we have is totally fake and doesn't move at all.
The turkeys are not afraid of it in the garden, just when it is sitting where they want to be.

 

[mountain mom]

RetiredRon- What the heck?! I have never had an experience with poultry in an electric fence, but I can imagine it is not good.
My guess would be that something startled the flock and chased them to the point of thinking the buzzing fence was a good option. Hawk or eagle.
Likely not a fox... or it would have snatched it out of the fence and enjoyed a seared snack.

I would hope that just giving your birds some TLC and a calm place for getting better, would be all you can do to help them recover. I really don't know what to do for actual shock, not just shock that results from trauma.

I sure hope they recover!! Sorry you have had this happen!

 

[RetiredRon]

RetiredRon-  What the heck?!  I have never had an experience with poultry in an electric fence, but I can imagine it is not good. 
My guess would be that something startled the flock and chased them to the point of thinking the buzzing fence was a good option.  Hawk or eagle.
Likely not a fox... or it would have snatched it out of the fence and enjoyed a seared snack.

I would hope that just giving your birds some TLC and a calm place for getting better, would be all you can do to help them recover.  I really don't know what to do for actual shock, not just shock that results from trauma. 

I sure hope they recover!!  Sorry you have had this happen!

I don't know.. His fence is really small.. about 10x10 4 ft high.. No food in it.. only a small dog.. I don't know why they would jump the fence. They normally stay out of pens and fences till night time.

The turkeys momma, a small Brown hen... Brownie hatched 5 chickens this weekend. This was her 3rd hatch but the first time she hatched her own eggs... She hatched the rooster too... does that make her mom and grandma to the chicks?

Tom ate a little before I covered him. I didn't see him drink. He is not going to enjoy that cage long, when he stands, his back is against the top..

 

[chickadoodles]

Ron is there any way you could put up some bird netting to keep the birds out of the electric fence?

 

[duluthralphie]

A great awakening happened yesterday at our house. We were sending the BBB to freezer Camp and had him done and were talking about the turkeys and the new roosting building we are making them.

I said we have too many Toms, we need to get rid of some.

The DW said "I thought Coffee was going to buy one for thanksgiving"
I then told her I had to renege on the deal because they are teenagers and all bones and feather no meat when you pick them up.

She asked if I thought they would be ready by Xmas. I said no, maybe in Feb.

She said "what about Penguin?"

I said " he would be ready then too".

She said " We can't keep him can we?"

I said "nope"

She said, I suppose we will have to eat him then."

I told her" no, we will let someone else eat Penguin"..


I am making progress with Penguin, I think he is off the protected list.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Adam has made his way to hesitant lap turkey He is extremely hesitant about coming close when I first climb in the pen with him but after a little bit, he climbs up on my leg and leans against me. He was standing on my leg and strutting for me earlier lol. He is a lot of bird to be balanced on one leg and he ended up falling off but he just pushed himself as close to me as possible and laid his head on my shoulder and started to fall asleep. I seriously hope this big guy doesn't forget our friendship once he's surrounded by ladies outside.