A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

This is the last tom I need to get rid of. The bearded lady is my oldest hen who will turn 8 years old this year.


Her beard got to about 6" long last year but then the other turkeys ate it back to what it is now.

That is some hen beard!! I yell at my turkeys to "stop that" when I catch them beard eating. It does no good....

 

[duluthralphie]

No she not laying eggs and I'm assuming that she's had them eating. I couldn't see them being still alive and active if they weren't.

Do you have a food source close to the nest that you can measure visually if it goes down? ( one other birds cannot get too)




Maybe they are suckling on Mother milk still.....

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I do have a bowl right beside her. It's actualy like right against her lol. I can't be positive the others aren't getting in and nibbling at it though. They've stopped laying their eggs in there with her though so I'm assuming that she's not letting them too near anymore. It's been going down a lurks but I'm sure that Pebbles is eating from it too. I can't wait to see her get up and get them out.

 

[R2elk]

R2elk, beautiful birds! What do you mean get rid of....new home or the freezer? That hen looks great for being 8 years old! Love the beard....I'm partial to hens with beards!!

I only keep one tom during breeding season and I still have two toms out of the three that I started with. I currently have him listed on craigslist but if he doesn't sell then yes he will become someone's dinner. I don't put them in the freezer because I believe that fresh tastes better than frozen.

I am too lazy to go to all the trouble necessary to fix a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for just one person so someone else will get to eat him if he doesn't sell.

I just lost a turkey hen sale to a woman because she was thinking that all her turkeys were toms because the four hens all had beards. It didn't matter since the hen and one tom have since gone to their new home.

 

[holm25]

I think my first batch of fodder was a sucess!! It took them one hour to eat two trays. I think imI will feed about four trays a week.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Well, more bad news today I went out to collect eggs and in the turkey coop, I found a cold lifeless poult laying in the middle of the floor. Looked like no damage was done to it, just got cold. I went into panic mode searching for the other and I found it, also cold and dead on the coop floor. Pebbles was still sitting on her nest like nothing happened. I kicked her off the nest. She's done. Maybe I'll let her try again when it's warmer out. I think that they were ready to go explore and eat and she was still in sit mode. I so wanted her to do well both babies were fine and warm this morning, tucked under her wings.

 

[duluthralphie]

Well, more bad news today

I went out to collect eggs and in the turkey coop, I found a cold lifeless poult laying in the middle of the floor. Looked like no damage was done to it, just got cold. I went into panic mode searching for the other and I found it, also cold and dead on the coop floor. Pebbles was still sitting on her nest like nothing happened. I kicked her off the nest. She's done. Maybe I'll let her try again when it's warmer out. I think that they were ready to go explore and eat and she was still in sit mode. I so wanted her to do well

both babies were fine and warm this morning, tucked under her wings.

OH NO!!

That is so sad, I am so very sorry!

Young hens are so unpredictable mothers and sitters. Give her time she will get better. Remind her how much she has to learn. You might want to put a couple chicken eggs under her to get practice raising babies. Something you do not really care a whole lot about. With the attitude if they live great, if they die no big loss. I had a young turkey raise chicks last year. She was not doing good on her sitting. She would get bored and quit. I gave her chicken eggs and the shorter time worked for her..

The turkey I told you that chased Ed, JJ, Sidekick, blackie and attacked my dog.... That was her she became a mother not to be messed with. BUT she ruined about 2 dozen turkey eggs before I got smart and changed hers for chicken eggs.

 

[duluthralphie]

SOMEONE STOLE MY TOMS!!!!


I have no idea how, or even when. I am thinking 3 days ago.


I went out 3 evenings ago to put the Toms to bed for the night. They were all in the pen, two were roosting!
Last night I went out and I told them bedtime, and they walked into the coop with no fussy, the one that looked like Porter looked to the side but went in even...


This morning when I went to let them out, they were all in the turkey house.



Tonight I went out stepped off the deck and the turkeys started marching single file into their pen. I did not say a word, they did not look backwards or sideways....



These are nice turkey toms and they look a lot like mine, but they do not have the same attitude mine have. I have gotten use to the bedtime tantrum and fights. so


WHO EVER STOLE MY TURKEYS BRING THEM BACK!!

Stepford wife type turkeys are not for me!

 

[NathanZee]

SOMEONE STOLE MY TOMS!!!!


I have no idea how, or even when. I am thinking 3 days ago.


I went out 3 evenings ago to put the Toms to bed for the night. They were all in the pen, two were roosting!
Last night I went out and I told them bedtime, and they walked into the coop with no fussy, the one that looked like Porter looked to the side but went in even...


This morning when I went to let them out, they were all in the turkey house.



Tonight I went out stepped off the deck and the turkeys started marching single file into their pen. I did not say a word, they did not look backwards or sideways....



These are nice turkey toms and they look a lot like mine, but they do not have the same attitude mine have. I have gotten use to the bedtime tantrum and fights. so


WHO EVER STOLE MY TURKEYS BRING THEM BACK!!

Stepford wife type turkeys are not for me!

So you think whoever stole them replaced them? I find that kind of unlikely. Were your toms expensive show quality, or rare? Is it possible that your toms simply are changing behavior because of spring arriving or something?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well, more bad news today I went out to collect eggs and in the turkey coop, I found a cold lifeless poult laying in the middle of the floor. Looked like no damage was done to it, just got cold. I went into panic mode searching for the other and I found it, also cold and dead on the coop floor. Pebbles was still sitting on her nest like nothing happened. I kicked her off the nest. She's done. Maybe I'll let her try again when it's warmer out. I think that they were ready to go explore and eat and she was still in sit mode. I so wanted her to do well both babies were fine and warm this morning, tucked under her wings.

This is the reason I don't let my turkey hens raise my poults, I have my bantam chickens hatch the eggs than I brood them, I've never lost a single poult this way, it takes a certain turkey hen to get it right. Sorry you lost them.