A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[feedman77]

Have 9 of the 14 left. Just candled an hour ago. Wont candle again til day 25.

Still looking good.

 

[feistychick]

Lucky is living the good life Ralph!!

Feedman - we await the baby pics .

So I think Big Bird is weird about laying eggs. I put some training eggs in her nest box to show her where to lay, and it worked perfectly. DH took the fake eggs out because he had difficulty telling them from real ones. Big Bird then laid her egg in the dirt bath. So I put the fake eggs back, and she laid in the nest box again. I came home today and Big Bird was dancing and barking at me like a crazy turkey. I cleared the eggs out of the chicken boxes and noticed that the fake eggs were out of Big Birds box again (DH strikes again....sigh). So I found them in the barn and put them back in her box. She looked at me, zipped into her box and parked her egg in about a minute flat. I could have sworn I almost heard a sigh of relief. Anyone else have a hen that will not lay an egg in an empty nest box??? Is this normal? Poor girl, I was late getting home from work today and I think she was waiting on me to fix it.

 

[memphis]

Feisty, turkeys are so funny. Poor Big Bird! She obviously figured out how to let you know her world was not right. I have fake gourd eggs in my turkey nest but they kick them out & I think they play soccer with them. I don't know. They can be creatures of habit. I guess in her world those eggs need to be there. I have visions of her crossing her legs all day waiting for you to come home. Moma to the rescue!

 

[memphis]

So poor molting mess Daisy still doesn't want to be touch. But she wants to sit next to me. She'll hop up on a bench next to me & tug on my hair or jacket. She's practically tail-less. Growing feathers looks painful to me. Her new feathers are a lot darker. Poor girl.

Annie looks gorgeous. But she still has feathers coming in too. She's become my main lapper since Daisy won't be touched. However, Daisy will circle the lawn chair looking at me like I'm a traitor. She tried to pull Annies tail feathers last night. Major incriminating eye contact going on. Daisy is giving me a guilt trip. But Annie is enjoying the lap time!

This is my first turkey molt. Surprises me how long it takes. And I'm still confused with their timing.

 

[R2elk]

Lucky is living the good life Ralph!!

Feedman - we await the baby pics

.

So I think Big Bird is weird about laying eggs. I put some training eggs in her nest box to show her where to lay, and it worked perfectly. DH took the fake eggs out because he had difficulty telling them from real ones. Big Bird then laid her egg in the dirt bath. So I put the fake eggs back, and she laid in the nest box again. I came home today and Big Bird was dancing and barking at me like a crazy turkey. I cleared the eggs out of the chicken boxes and noticed that the fake eggs were out of Big Birds box again (DH strikes again....sigh). So I found them in the barn and put them back in her box. She looked at me, zipped into her box and parked her egg in about a minute flat. I could have sworn I almost heard a sigh of relief. Anyone else have a hen that will not lay an egg in an empty nest box??? Is this normal? Poor girl, I was late getting home from work today and I think she was waiting on me to fix it.

She is being very normal. The quickest way to get a turkey to move her nest is to keep taking all of the eggs out of the nest. If your husband can't tell the difference from the fake eggs, just mark the fake eggs with a Sharpie. I often do this with the first eggs of the season so that I can tell them from the fresh eggs that I keep taking.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I say paint tree fake eggs some off the wall color. Purple maybe? Just don't do florescent orange! We've already established turkeys don't like that color lol

 

[memphis]

Makes good sense R2elk!

Oh geez....I remember the orange vest experiment! . I still think some our folks need them during hunting season. But good luck getting a bird to sit still for a fitting!

 

[duluthralphie]

Lucky is living the good life Ralph!!

Feedman - we await the baby pics

.

So I think Big Bird is weird about laying eggs. I put some training eggs in her nest box to show her where to lay, and it worked perfectly. DH took the fake eggs out because he had difficulty telling them from real ones. Big Bird then laid her egg in the dirt bath. So I put the fake eggs back, and she laid in the nest box again. I came home today and Big Bird was dancing and barking at me like a crazy turkey. I cleared the eggs out of the chicken boxes and noticed that the fake eggs were out of Big Birds box again (DH strikes again....sigh). So I found them in the barn and put them back in her box. She looked at me, zipped into her box and parked her egg in about a minute flat. I could have sworn I almost heard a sigh of relief. Anyone else have a hen that will not lay an egg in an empty nest box??? Is this normal? Poor girl, I was late getting home from work today and I think she was waiting on me to fix it.

Ethel will not lay in a nest without fake eggs in it. Unless it is a stolen nest. Blue was the same way, when she ended up hatching eggs she stole a stolen nest the chickens made. I put a fake egg in it, and I would take the eggs out. When I decided to let her hatch I just took the turkey egg and the fake eggs. When there was 12-14 eggs she went broody and witchy with a B. Then no one was allowed near her, not even the chickens.



I have put 4 lateral lines on the fake eggs with a magic marker. If I di not do that, I will end up bringing a fake egg into the house. I use the ceramic eggs.

 

[duluthralphie]

She is being very normal. The quickest way to get a turkey to move her nest is to keep taking all of the eggs out of the nest. If your husband can't tell the difference from the fake eggs, just mark the fake eggs with a Sharpie. I often do this with the first eggs of the season so that I can tell them from the fresh eggs that I keep taking.

Sorry, I did it again, I post replies without reading what others write..
BUT great minds think alike is proved again!

 

[feistychick]

She is being very normal.  The quickest way to get a turkey to move her nest is to keep taking all of the eggs out of the nest.  If your husband can't tell the difference from the fake eggs, just mark the fake eggs with a Sharpie.  I often do this with the first eggs of the season so that I can tell them from the fresh eggs that I keep taking.

Thank you, that makes so much sense! I'll explain to DH that unless we want to have to start hunting for her eggs every day, he'll need to leave those starter eggs alone . He keeps expecting her to do the the same things as the chickens, and she's not cooperating lol. I'll mark the ceramic ones tonight so that he doesn't have so much trouble telling them apart.