A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[Feathyr]

Thank you both for your answers! I appreciate it.

 

[chickadoodles]

Here in Alabama most people sell thier turkey off before it gets to hot in the summer. They can get a good price for them so they don't have to feed them all winter then they buy more fully grown egg laying turkey in the spring at a good price. But it keeps anyone else that raised good breeding quality birds from making a fair price on their birds when they can buy and sell grown turkey for 20.00 a piece.

 

[feistychick]

It has been far too quiet on here the last few days....where is everyone hiding? I miss hearing about turkey adventures!

Well, I've been learning lots of things about turkeys the last week or two. Babies grow fast and become little hooligans (to borrow Ralph's description). Two of mine have figured out that if they sneak up and land on my shoulder, they can pull hair pins out and tug on earrings.... these two are now banned from shoulder-sitting since I can't imagine that will feel good when they get bigger .

I'm starting to see dark feathers growing in and it's kind of cool to see what color they will be eventually.

I cannot believe how much dirt a little turkey can hold when having fun in a dust bath....

Turkules will only run around the yard if DH goes with him - so he bounces up and down in front of him like a little kid until DH decides to run around and then he races after him..... *snort* boys will be boys.....

 

[memphis]

Feisty! Where is everybody?? I was out of town this weekend and boy were my turkeys happy to see me when I got back. All kinds of little happy turkey sounds. Of course Daisy jumped in my lap....leaving poor Annie to pull my hair. Maybe its me....but they really seem to miss me when I'm gone. They are both still laying eggs. No one has committed to a molt yet....although the chickens are really starting. Its pretty funny to have a lap turkey. Scratch her head and she goes to sleep.

Waiting for pictures of naked molting turkeys! I really want to see your bald birds! BYC usually has a molt contest each year....I want to win it with a turkey....chickens take it every year!! Turkey's need to step up!!

Starting to cool off here. Well....its about 90 today but the nights are going down into the 60's. That's huge for us. It was a miserable summer.

So Ralphie....have you eaten a guinea yet? Do you still have the flock? Read the list of guinea crimes. Geez!!

Feisty....Turkules looks like he's over his wing injury. Is he 100 percent now? Love the shot of him and your DH. Can't believe how big the rest of the crew is getting!

What's everyone else been up too???

 

[duluthralphie]

I have been building a deck and just getting ready for winter.

I still have the guineas, I think I will keep them, since the one was sentenced to death row the others have been really well behaved. They have even went back to following their adopted mother ,the BA hen.

Ethel is kind of with her babies and kind of not. She is a real witch replacing the w with one of the first two letters of the alphabet when she is with them, chasing the other birds fighting and being mean. When she is not with them she is herself. BUT that incessant cracking like a duck is driving me nuts!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I've been canning and dehydrating like crazy. Today is the third day in a row of nonstop canning and before that, I was slicing and dehydrating a case of kiwi which took a few days. I've canned 70 lbs of carrots and just started 50 lbs of potatoes. There are 6 big bags of apples on the screen porch waiting to be made into apple sauce. I think I've gotten in over my head!

Fiesty-I love your pictures!

 

[feistychick]

Memphis - It sounds like they missed you while you were away! I love the idea of molting pics, although I don't think mine will molt until next year....but we should absolutely get some turkeys in the contest for molting. Turkules is about 90% healed and seems to be able to cruise just above the ground now - probably needs to build up some wing muscles again. He and DH go for a "walk" every day after work and he gets so excited about it (but not brave enough to explore on his own lol).

Ralph - I met my first guineas on the weekend, and they were NOISY - between your guinea stories and that introduction......it's confirmed that I will never have any . It sounds like Ethel is having a hard time letting go of her babies..... is she usually this difficult to separate from them?

Winter....hmmmm.....I'm pretty sure that I have a long list of stuff I'm supposed to do before then. Should probably get started on that one of these days, sigh.

 

[feedman77]

I've kinda transitioned over toward getting ready for hunting season.

Turkey wise my bifds are coming out of a hard molt. Toms getting tail feathers back and starting strut and feel like old selfs again.

Purchased 4 blue slates about 2 weeks ago. Fairly young think I got 1 tom and 3 hens.

My babies that hatched out this year have all shown the gender now. Out of the 15 that made it til now I have 14 toms. So deciding what to keep for spring and who gets a chilly vacation.

 

[feistychick]

I've been canning and dehydrating like crazy. Today is the third day in a row of nonstop canning and before that, I was slicing and dehydrating a case of kiwi which took a few days. I've canned 70 lbs of carrots and just started 50 lbs of potatoes. There are 6 big bags of apples on the screen porch waiting to be made into apple sauce. I think I've gotten in over my head!

Fiesty-I love your pictures!

I can sympathize with the canning predicament, but you are way more ambitious than me. Last week I finished the last of the plums (we ended up with over 150lbs), and last night I did 40lbs of apples. I think I'm done for the year.... no matter how good it tastes, I'm just tired of peeling, slicing and processing

 

[feistychick]

I've been meaning to ask - where is a good place to get turkeys from? I'm starting to think about spring, and I'll probably want to order a few more. Turkules came from a feed store and the 4 babies were from a local lady - but if I wanted to order specific types, any suggestions about where is good to order from?