A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[OneMountainAcres]

Aurora. ...are they using nests in a coop? Do you have multiple nests, or do they share?
How many are you incubating? All that you get by Sunday ? You'll be up to your eyeballs in little Adam babies!

Only one is using the nest so far and I'm pretty sure that's Pebbles. She was the first to lay and she was checking it or the other day, the first time I found an egg in it. I was actually concerned today that everyone quit on me. I had no eggs today until around noon and I only had 1 then. But by bedtime tonight, there were 3 more in there waiting for me

I plan to set ALL of the eggs. Even if I have to remove my turner and then turn all by hand so that they all fit, that's what I'll be doing. I'm not worried about beign overrun yet. I have the big garage brooder that I can fill. I'm honestly only keeping 2 poults, ones that look like toms to raise up for thanksgiving next year. I figure that they should be good size by November if they hatch in January. The rest I plan to sell.

 

[R2elk]

Thanks, I missed them somehow,

I think I would play the lottery and buy eggs.

I have played the egg lottery with chickens and guineas. The guineas were about break even but the chicken egg lottery proves that in almost all cases it is far cheaper to buy day old chicks than to end up with $80 chicks hatched from eggs because of how few eggs hatched. I was into Swedish Flower Hens a year ago which I got from hatching eggs. The cheapest ones ended up costing $30 each up to the highest being $80 each. I could have bought day old chicks from the original importer for $20 each.

Fifteen dollars each for live poults versus $5 each for eggs that may or may not hatch makes the live poult price look pretty good especially if you only manage to hatch one or zero out of the half dozen minimum order. The farther away from the source that you are, the worse the odds are of any of them hatching.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have played the egg lottery with chickens and guineas. The guineas were about break even but the chicken egg lottery proves that in almost all cases it is far cheaper to buy day old chicks than to end up with $80 chicks hatched from eggs because of how few eggs hatched. I was into Swedish Flower Hens a year ago which I got from hatching eggs. The cheapest ones ended up costing $30 each up to the highest being $80 each. I could have bought day old chicks from the original importer for $20 each.

Fifteen dollars each for live poults versus $5 each for eggs that may or may not hatch makes the live poult price look pretty good especially if you only manage to hatch one or zero out of the half dozen minimum order. The farther away from the source that you are, the worse the odds are of any of them hatching.

I understand all of that, and it makes great logic, but the CHEAP in me says buy eggs.

I have never tried hatching mailed eggs, I have heard some people say they hatch just like those you raise and others say they don't hatch.

I might even do both, now that the Wife has a Gift Certificate to Porter's from Santa.

 

[duluthralphie]

January Toms will sure make nice T-day guests of honor!


Auroradream, I am pleased to tell you my Creamettes out did themselves today! I got 2 robin blue diamond encrusted eggs from my hens instead of the normal 1....AND they were both in nests and not on the floor.

 

[duluthralphie]

Coffee Look at the possibilities!!!



Ginger:




Penguin ( the dark one, the lighter one is JJ, You can only dream of having him)



Porter..






And if you want a challenge:

 

[feistychick]

Wow Ralph - those are some very beautiful birds - I am seriously coveting all three of them (and JJ, but we know you'll never give him up)! I so want those colors, my flock would be much more colorful with them

 

[duluthralphie]

Wow Ralph - those are some very beautiful birds - I am seriously coveting all three of them (and JJ, but we know you'll never give him up)! I so want those colors, my flock would be much more colorful with them

Not meaning to brag, but I know it!

I love watching them strut and show off all day long. I wish I could keep them all but that is not possible, 9 Toms in one flock is just too many. With Turkeys as sweet and luvable as the hens are, for me it is the eye candy that wins every time.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I understand all of that, and it makes great logic, but the CHEAP in me says buy eggs.

I have never tried hatching mailed eggs, I have heard some people say they hatch just like those you raise and others say they don't hatch.

I might even do both, now that the Wife has a Gift Certificate to Porter's from Santa.

With hatching eggs, everything depends on how well the person you buy them off of packages them and how gentle to postal service is with them. I have a dozen shipped eggs in my incubator now and let me tell you, the post office is NOT gentle right now with Christmas season here. They were packaged wonderfully and still arrived with one broken and every air cell detached. I can only see developement in 2 of 12 :/ if they hatch, I may have to name them something like rough and tough since they survived the journey. Then again, I don't think those are appropriate names for silkies lol.

January Toms will sure make nice T-day guests of honor!


Auroradream,  I am pleased to tell you my Creamettes out did themselves today!  I got 2 robin blue diamond encrusted eggs from my hens instead of the normal 1....AND they were both in nests and not on the floor.

Very impressive! Sky hasn't been giving me any eggs over the past few days and I keep finding her "nesting" in random places lately. I hate to keep them confined but I have a lady that wants to buy some chicks and hatching eggs in just over a week. I may not have much choice. They're going to be so mad at me lol

 

[memphis]

I've always heard shipped turkey eggs have a low hatch rate. I like how R2elk broke it down in financial terms. Last year friends of mine got their poultry order from Porters in June. Due to the late winter. I just wonder which you'd get quicker....eggs or poults?

Aurora. ...hatch them all! You go girl! A January hatch makes great sense for Thanksgiving & Christmas next year! I can't wait to see some of those Red Bronze babies!

Ralph...those boys are stunning. I understand. Hens are so sweet, but the toms are eye candy! I'm excited for Coffee! I'm a complete turkey convert. I love my chickens, but turkeys are just special! She's going to love it! Wonder if she has a deck???

And, even if it's a joke, you ought to wrap up a fake Porters Gift Certificate for your DW.

 

[memphis]

My poor Annie is nothing but a bundle of pin feathers. At least its warm here. I think it's going to be in the 70's the rest of the week. This weather is to weird.