A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

The wild hen that likes my boys, has a very red back area to her too. She looks much redder in the spring than what you see when driving by turkeys on the edge of the road. I put it down to our eyes simply not being able (or our minds to distinguish) the subtle colors at the distance and speed we travel, compared to one right in front of us and not really moving...

 

[rjohns39]

Trying to remember back to your wild hen that produced the current crop and I seem to recall that she was a Red Bronze. Unfortunately Porter's is not the site to look when delving into wild turkeys. For the purpose of Porter's Turkey Color Calculator, wild turkeys are bronze turkeys but there definitely is a slightly different look between the 6 varieties of wild turkey (Eastern Wild, Rio Grande, Merriam's, Osceola, Gould's and South Mexican).

It certainly wouldn't surprise me if you have a bunch of Red Bronze turkeys running around your area but it is also possible that there is something else going on. The reason behind that is that if they are Red Bronze and they mate to each other they would produce more bronze, red bronze and bourbon reds. Since you aren't seeing any Bourbon Reds running around with your wild turkeys it would indicate that it is something else.

This is a shot of my wilds... The lighter feathers have more red than the pic shows.

 

[duluthralphie]

I think mine are redder than yours are. I assume there is local differences....And MAYBE JJ is the father of mine, as the hens started showing up about the same time JJ did..RIP JJ!

 

[sfgwife]

Ya’ll got me spittin coffe here! I am dog tired and feel dumb as a box of rocks today and have father, stepmother, brother and son comin for junk food and christmas. Mama had hand surgery again this week so of course i ran back and forth to both houses all week gettin squat done... i have to finish knittin four inches on a sock that is due a customer TOMORROW. Then i think one of our mini rex ladies is gonna kindle tonight or tomorrow... she is actin all weird like she gets when tis time. And it supposed to rain like the dickens later. And i dont see where she has started her nest yet. . She usually waits til the last minute to make her belly bare but builds her nest several days before under their dogloo.... which is currently inhabited by six two day old buns... yes. There are two boxes she can use so guess we will see if i am on hamds and knees in the rain lookin for kits or she uses a box.

And... whichever one of you took and lost my truck keys two days ago.... i would REALLY appreciate them back now. The joke is not funny anymores. . And i cannot BELIEVE you haven’t left a ransom note already for them....

 

[PolarBerry]

So after a fair bit of rain the turkey shavings were disgusting and coated in a poop/mud mixture. So today the husband and I shoveled it all out and put down some gravel over the hardware cloth ground and then put sand on top of that.

They were locked outside all day with no food/water so I *assumed* they would easily be bribed inside come dark.

Nope, not even close. Not in a million years.

Reinacted below:

Birds: Stand at the door, scream, flap away, lay down in the mud for the night....

Me: Creat Hansel and gretel trail of mealworms, noisily refill feeder, turn on extra lights inside...

Birds: walk/fly into fence in dark trying to get as far from evil sand as possible...

Me: *remembering newly purchased alcohol inside and freezing rain in forecast tomorrow* catches each bird one by one and throws them through the door. Mentally weighing each one for meal worthiness...

Birds (once inside): hey look! Mealworms, yay this is great! Yay food and water and roost! So happy!

Me: Goes inside and opens a cold one...

 

[duluthralphie]

So after a fair bit of rain the turkey shavings were disgusting and coated in a poop/mud mixture. So today the husband and I shoveled it all out and put down some gravel over the hardware cloth ground and then put sand on top of that.

They were locked outside all day with no food/water so I *assumed* they would easily be bribed inside come dark.

Nope, not even close. Not in a million years.

Reinacted below:

Birds: Stand at the door, scream, flap away, lay down in the mud for the night....

Me: Creat Hansel and gretel trail of mealworms, noisily refill feeder, turn on extra lights inside...

Birds: walk/fly into fence in dark trying to get as far from evil sand as possible...

Me: *remembering newly purchased alcohol inside and freezing rain in forecast tomorrow* catches each bird one by one and throws them through the door. Mentally weighing each one for meal worthiness...

Birds (once inside): hey look! Mealworms, yay this is great! Yay food and water and roost! So happy!

Me: Goes inside and opens a cold one...

I love it!! A true turkey adventure....

Never expect a turkey to do what you want it too..

 

[PolarBerry]

They better get used to it. Leaving them locked up for the next day or so because of freezing rain tomorrow and they’d probably get frostbite or injure themselves. At the very least I won’t be out slipping and sliding in it!

 

[duluthralphie]

My turkeys all go in every night...EXCEPT the one I have to push off the fence...I no longer even gently push it. I just knock it off the fence...

It gives me a dirty look, walks to the door and heads in, stopping to flip me the bird....It is a nightly ritual. I have no idea why it cannot go in with the rest.

It gets old. No matter how dark it is when I lock the door we go through this. My Wife says if she locks up it is the same thing.

He never fights or balks at going in, He just has to be knocked off the fence, get his feathers ruffled,,then go to bed.

 

[sfgwife]

He jus wants you to keep the routine a d put him abed.

 

[PolarBerry]

I’m about ready to get put like a funnel into the coop so when I crazily chase them with the broom or rake or whatnot they can’t bolt to the side or squeeze under the door to avoid going in. Once they’re in they’re content and relaxed but going through the door seems to scare them I guess.