A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[memphis]

Of course 6 degrees would kill most of us down here! So unprepared for weather that cold! I will say...with all the rain we've gotten, I'm thankful its stayed above freezing. We usually get ice. And that's just horrible. I'll take my chances with the storms!!

 

[memphis]

Aurora...I've been sneezing all morning. Doing the same...relaxing & drinking coffee. Hound is staring at me....wanting to do something . But being a hound...he'll curl up & go back to sleep! He's getting big. Starting to mature at a year & a half.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Aurora's hens were great with their shared poult last year! Mine are like Aurora's hens...laid back. They really enjoyed the babies. Sort of felt guilty denying them being moms. Sort of.....

Flashback! They were all such a good group last year raising those babies!

Now, all grown up, Baby still living on Mama Mary and Mama Princess trying to keep her in line lol

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Aurora...I've been sneezing all morning. Doing the same...relaxing & drinking coffee. Hound is staring at me....wanting to do something . But being a hound...he'll curl up & go back to sleep! He's getting big. Starting to mature at a year & a half. View attachment 1628897

He's a beautiful boy!

 

[CindyinSD]

I started using their names and sort of like training a dog they got a treat, some BOSS. when they responded to their names. Now they will come when I call them. They also respond to certain other words. "Let's go".... they come running. It's either coop time or walk time. But they seem to know something is up. When I ask them "What are you doing"... they usually trill back to me. I think it's a matter of consistency and using simple words.

That’s so cool, Memphis. I love that they know their names. I did give all my pullets names... well, I wrote them down at least. I can’t tell most of them apart from their breed-mates anyway, so effectively neither of us knows their names. They do all seem to regard me as a magnet, treats or not. When I come into the coop/run, they gather round cooing and whirring and making all the other lovely little noises they make. They jump up on my knees and my back if I squat down for very long, but if I try to pet one or pick her up, they all scatter as though I had suddenly morphed into King Kong. Silly chickens.

With my poults I put them in a brooder with sand as the bedding. I sprinkle turkey starter on top of the sand in addition to keeping a full feeder in the brooder. I dip each individual poult's beak in the water fount and that is the last time I touch any of the poults until I remove them from the brooder. I check on them several times daily as well as keeping their feeder and waterer full. I never catch any or try to have any of them come to me unless it is to remove them from the brooder to go to their new home.

Catching them when needed is different for everyone and different for their age. In my case, I start teaching my turkeys to be herded at a young age. When I want to catch a particular one or more, I herd them into the grow out pen which is about 8'x12' and catch them in there.

Other people can use the treat method where you get them to come to you for treats.

How do you herd them? With a long cane or similar? While I’ve almost always lived in the country, it’s mostly only been a pack of naughty dogs for animals, so I’m pretty green when it comes to livestock. I really appreciate your generous advice.

Pssst. Look at this... she thinks she will tell the boys from the girls when they get breast feathers...

But Raaaalphieee... you guys said you could tell by the lighter edges on the breast feathers! Are you telling me that’s a bunch of hooie now??l (She wailed disconsolately)

 

[R2elk]

How do you herd them? With a long cane or similar? While I’ve almost always lived in the country, it’s mostly only been a pack of naughty dogs for animals, so I’m pretty green when it comes to livestock. I really appreciate your generous advice.

A long stick or two long sticks (one for each hand). Approach slowly. Keep repeating until both you and they get it right. Sometimes a blockade (pallet, piece of fencing, etc.) can be helpful in forming a funnel to herd them into.

But Raaaalphieee... you guys said you could tell by the lighter edges on the breast feathers! Are you telling me that’s a bunch of hooie now??l (She wailed disconsolately)

The adult breast feathers of hens with dark colored feathers will have light colored lower edges. The adult breast feathers may not show up until 6 months or later. The juvenile breast feathers of both hens and toms can have light colored lower edges.

Except in the case of late developing toms, there are other indications that can and do show up at much younger ages, Normal developing hens and toms should be sexable by the time they are 3 months old and definitely by 6 months old.

I can often sex mine by two months old with some cases being sexed correctly by two weeks old strictly by observation.

I don't allow late developing toms to breed which pretty much eliminates late developing toms from occurring among my poults. I do believe it is an inherited trait that is best eliminated from the gene pool.

 

[duluthralphie]

Being a really late bloomer myself.....I keep the slow ones....

 

[OneMountainAcres]

R2elk beat me to it lol. Usually by the time they get their adult breast feathers, you have a pretty good idea of who's a boy and who's a girl.

I'm very hands on when I raise my poults. I try to get them to imprint on me. In my experience, they are affectionate for life. Eve, Cuddles, and Romeo are my best snugglers

 

[CindyinSD]

Yay! It’s now 3 degrees! That’s three times as warm as it was when we got up a couple three hours ago. We’re supposed to get a foot of snow... or 3 inches... the weather guys can’t seem to decide. We’ve already had the 3 inches... or maybe ten or whatever. It’s hard to guess. If the precip just wouldn’t blow around so much A person could measure it a lot better.

The heifers actually put themselves in the shed sometime before I got there. Good girls! Saved me slogging through the snow and trying to coax them in so DH wouldn’t worry about them. They don’t seem to notice the snow usually. Here’s a picture of the two nice ones on a warmer day. They’re so pretty that Ralphie even offered to trade me some guineas or turkeys or something.

 

[memphis]

Thanks for the throw back shots of baby & moms! They moms were so cute with that baby!!

Cindy...what are those cute, hairy, horned cow like animals?? Highlands?