A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[memphis]

Yeah...Daisy especially is good with kids. Go figure.....
She's more "tolorant" with adults until she knows them. Annie is more of a moma's girl. Not too excited about other folks wanting to pet her. And could care less about kids.

Of all things....we are expecting a snowy mix here tonight. Whatever that is....

 

[memphis]

Ralph, sounds a bit nippy to put babies out.

 

[rjohns39]

Finnie, hope all is ok up there.

 

[memphis]

Another poultry grower has an outbreak in south central TN. Bummer...

 

[rjohns39]

Memphis are you getting the white stuff? I just went out and have a 1/4 in or so on the deck and its sticking to the ground and trees... As far as the outbreak are you referring to Giles or is it another one?

 

[duluthralphie]

Another poultry grower has an outbreak in south central TN. Bummer...

Not a good sign for the year to have it this early.

When JJ died I was worried as I had just tested for AI and the results were not back, I thought stroke, but that nagging voice in my head said AI. He was tested a week before he died so I know he was ok,



Daisy is real special, none of my turkeys are that fond of people or strangers. They check them out but would never let anyone touch them.

R2elk, you are so right about what happened when JJ died. My whole flock is in disarray. I am having bloody headed Toms everyday. They do not have a boss yet. Sidekick is trying to become it, but the younger Toms are having none of it from him. I think taking Sidekick out might be the best thing for the flock. Sending him to Dinner like you said.

It is amazing how much I dislike Sidekick without JJ to keep him in line. The WWD says sidekick is just a "blank turkey with no personality". The young turkeys would have never thought to fight JJ. Jr has been resisting becoming King. BUT I am going to install him as king if I have to process every other Tom to do it.

 

[R2elk]

That storm front must have been huge to hit Michigan too....

OI hope and pray they are all ok there. We are back into the deep freeze, 6 degrees today. I am not sure of any of the eggs I got yesterday. I will be setting eggs today. My first time setting on a weekend as I get ready to mail chicks.

Does anyone know how "My Pet Chicken" gets away with mailing 3 chicks? I thought there was a 15 chick minimum?


I have some chicks that should go outside today, I am leery of moving them out when it is 6 degrees with a high of 18 expected.

I think I need to rip apart the one 1202. it does not appear to be auto turning the eggs, but I can turn them with the switch. I do not understand that..So I turn to R2elk for suggestions..(hint hint R2elk) Any Ideas?


I had to repair it last year too, but then the switch would not turn it, the bolt holding the push rod was loose.


Finnie thanks for the picture of the eggs, That really did make my blue look different than the others. However, showing my C shows everyone how sloppy my handwriting is.

My Pet Chicken puts heat packs in with the chicks. Another outfit does the heat packs and also seals most of the holes to keep the heat in better. If you want to do a search you can read all the horror stories of dead chicks arriving from My Pet Chicken. IMO it isn't worth trying to ship such few chicks.

I often suspect my turner as not working simply I keep checking on it at the wrong times. I believe that the older models turn the trays every 3 hours. If you check at too infrequent of times, you will always see the trays in the same position. I do the manual turning (hold switch up as tray turns) and attempt to check on it a little over 3 hours later to see if it really did stay in the same position or if it did actually turn. So far it still keeps turning.

If it isn't working, GQF has the parts from the switch, timer, etc. to the whole replacement unit. As long as the manual switch is working you could keep operating the turner manually (pain in the butt). At least it will allow you to finish the batch that is in it.

I need to remember to go turn on my incubator to get it warmed up for setting chicken eggs this evening.

Old farts are lucky to be able to even do "chicken scrawl".

 

[feedman77]

Ralphie: sorry to hear about the disarray in your flock and that JJ Jr won't step up.

Found my mottled blue slate dead along the fence yesterday. Looked like he died mid strut. Laying on the ground head still red and tail half fanned out. But my toms went the other way seem to be more. Subdued and less fighting. Maybe he was a instigator that kept them riled up.

Memphis: that's glad to hear that daisy is such a people turkey. As well as her friend is getting some be by chicks this spring.

Finnie: since power was out didn't watch any tv hadn't heard about storms in Detroit. Hope all is well.

Woke up to 28 degrees this morning. It's now snowing like crazy. Starting to cover the ground. Weather people are calling for 2 to 3 inches. But if it keeps this up probably 5 to 7 inches.

Just got all my quail out of the basement and moved outside yesterday. And the weather is barely going to get above freezing for a week.

I have been doing good in not buying chicks from farm store. But went in yesterday and they had 2 week old EE pullet marked down to 2 dollars each. There was 13 left in the bin. I bought them all . I was gonna leave one as it has a severely cross beak. But I felt sorry for it. So I have a special needs baby to look after. I have had a few like this in the past I've gotten to adulthood. But this one is about the worst cross beak I've seen.

 

[feistychick]

There has certainly been some weird weather everywhere this year. Gale force winds, snow and cold temps. I keep hoping spring is coming soon for all of us!

Feedman - Love that you took all the EE chicks . I'm not allowed in the feedstore until chick season is over lol.

Memphis - Daisy is such a special girl - I still can't believe how you got her. I love that her little friend is getting chicks..... just wait, turkeys will be next

Ralph - Hopefully JJ Jr figures out how to be the main man soon - it was probably pretty confusing for all the boys to have the long-established authority structure change suddenly.

I find the group dynamics fascinating. My boys seem fine together - as long as nothing changes. If anyone leaves the group, even for a few hours, then they seem to need to figure it out all over again. The girls seem to have a slightly more flexible set of rules, but equally interesting...

 

[R2elk]

There has certainly been some weird weather everywhere this year. Gale force winds, snow and cold temps. I keep hoping spring is coming soon for all of us!

Feedman - Love that you took all the EE chicks

. I'm not allowed in the feedstore until chick season is over lol.

Memphis - Daisy is such a special girl - I still can't believe how you got her. I love that her little friend is getting chicks..... just wait, turkeys will be next

Ralph - Hopefully JJ Jr figures out how to be the main man soon - it was probably pretty confusing for all the boys to have the long-established authority structure change suddenly.

I find the group dynamics fascinating. My boys seem fine together - as long as nothing changes. If anyone leaves the group, even for a few hours, then they seem to need to figure it out all over again. The girls seem to have a slightly more flexible set of rules, but equally interesting...

If you want the fighting to start big time, just put some of your boys on one side of a fence and some on the other side. Doesn't matter how good of buddies they were before or who was the top dog before. When they are on opposite sides of a see through fence they get really bold and really go after each other.

If the fence is made of poultry (chicken) wire they might even end up cutting their snoods off.