A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Which is best Royal Palms Or Bronze for a beginner?

Most domesticated heritage varieties are only different because of color, so pick something you find pretty.

 

[memphis]

Good point Oldhen. How is our twizzle frizzle boy doing?? Are you setting up breeding pens for this season? Curious what your breeding plans are.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't plan to breed anyone this year because the 15 I have is enough, though who knows, I might slip some eggs under the bantam hens in July on a whim, my husband is always willing to have turkey for dinner. I'm not always able to pick anyone out. My shed is at capacity and I don't like selling mine.

Poor Mr. Fuzzypants is holding his own, very wicked winds today. I had to chase him out of the shed yesterday morning, his displaying at me was getting too creepy, like stalker creepy, so I shagged him out by putting my cat litter scoop taped to a handle on his back, he made baby noises and ran, but quickly returned. Spring is coming and every poultry male is feeling it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some boys who are no longer with us.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oops one boy is still with me, the second picture, blue male on the right.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hey all. Been a chicken day for me.

Andy is being a PITA. I think he wants to be a lapper. The turkey Toms were well behaved today. They put themselves to bed, I just went out and shut there door around 5pm!

It was a frozen egg day here. I lost more than I collected. I have eggs hatching today, I hatched out a white Cream Legbar but it is not going to make it. It is like the bottom of his/her stomach never closed up. I was scratching my head on how I got a white chick out of my Creamette eggs. It appears there is a recessive gene for white in cream legbars!

It has been so cold I have not gotten anything done on the turkey front. I need to get some pens done soon. Mr T will be coming for a few weeks soon and he needs a proper room.



Welcome new people!! I raise turkeys and chickens together. I have not had a problem, I have a turkey house but my turkeys basically ignore it. We are looking at 20 below tonight and I have only 2 turkeys in the turkey house, The rest are outside or in the chicken coop. When getting turkeys go for the colors you like! Do not worry about much else. They are all the same. (acting) some are good, some are bad. Bad ones are best as dinner guests.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Hey guys, I am wanting to get into turkeys mostly the Bronze, any opinions about them? The problem is I have chickens and I heard about black head, even though I know many people who raise them together and never had a issue. What do you guys feel about that? Should I take the risk? Are any of you guys raising them together? And I want to let mine Freerange is that a good idea ?

Most of us raise them both. Most house them separately but free range them all together. We actualy just discussed this over the past few posts or pages with someone else lol. As for the bronze, my two bronze hens are sweet hearts. I have a standard bronze hen and a red bronze.

My red bronze hen, Sweet Pea

My bronze, Pebbles

But, I'm very partial to my Bourbon reds

Is Sweet Pea 1 of mine too? I love seeing all of my crazy colors!!!

I've pastured turkeys and chickens together for more than 20 years now.  The first place didn't have blackhead in the soil, this one does.  The local avian vet went over the whole thing with me; he didn't recommend getting rid of the turkeys or anything.  They pasture together but they have separate sleeping quarters.  Some turkeys will kill chickens (or ducks) if they can get them down and keep pecking, so I wouldn't lock them into someplace the chickens couldn't get away.  If you want the whole rundown, details, on the blackhead, send me a PM and I'll copy it to you rather than post it again.  I love my turkeys too much to give them up.

My turkeys are all penned right with the chickens. No problems at all. The only thing I can't pen with my turkeys are the peafowl. They fight!! Turkeys & chickens eat, roost, sleep & poop side-by-side 24/7 here. They even hatch together & are brooded together from day 1. Not sure they really realize they aren't all the same type of bird actually...lol

Thanks for the tips guys I'll house them in different coops but Freerange them together too, I'll let you guys know when I get them!

See my note above. They can do fine together.

Which is best Royal Palms Or Bronze for a beginner?

Depends on if you mean heritage bronze or broad breasted bronze. Heritage breeds are all pretty similar except midget whites, which are way smaller. A lot of us here like to mix colors to see what kind of crazy colors we can get. Broad breasted turkeys are for meat. If you plan to raise just to eat, go with broad breasted, butchr each fall & get new ppults each spring. No wintering over. If you want to hatch & raise your own, pick heritage...any color that catches your eye.

 

[memphis]

Oldhen, beautiful pictures. We have some wonderful turkey photographers here. When they start asking for calendar submissions I'm going to start bugging ya'll!

Aurora, Sweet Pea & Pebbles have such great color. I'm looking forward to see what some of the babies look like grown. Hope they get some of that red!

Ralph, frozen eggs have got to be frustrating. Sorry about the baby not doing well. Interesting that you got a white. Does that mean you have at least two birds(mom & dad) with recessive white genes? Or can the bird express the recessive gene with just one parent having the gene?

It's my understanding that if you have blackhead it shows up pretty quickly. Right? Anybody know?

 

[Alex1010]

I just asked the same question to everyone and they all told me they would be fine! 

Sorry I guess I should've gone and read the thread first lol

 

[OneMountainAcres]

SS- no, Sweet Pea is a cross between wild turkey and Bourbon red that I hatched from eggs that i got from a guy about an hour away. Pebbles is the only hen that I ended up with from your eggs so she's the only one I still have from yours. Both are sweet hearts though

BABIES ARE HATCHING!