A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[memphis]

Keep the baby pics coming....do darn cute!! So we get to play " Guess the Variety" game with the babies!! I'm clueless most of the time...but some folks here are pros at it.

Yeah Rjohns....what's your plan this year? Agree...our weather has been so weird this year.

I think they have to be older before the J Poop thing kicks in. R2elk would know. But it's an interesting way to determine sex. My hens have never had that shape poop. Geez...back to poop...just hopeless....

 

[R2elk]

I only use the poop method to know that there are toms among the poults. I don't actually use it to determine the sex of a specific turkey.

 

[memphis]

For some bizarre reason I find the J concept interesting. I need to get out more.

One day of sun...then 2 inches of rain inbound. Yipee. Well...it could always be ice. Can't complain too much.

Oh...R2elk...heading back to NYC on business. Plan to try the Guinea dish this trip!! Tried last trip, but it wasnt on the menu that day. I'm determined to track down a well cooked guinea!!

 

[memphis]

By the way....there is a meat market here that sells Guinea. They also sell rabbit, squirrel, raccoon & possum. And weird fish I've never heard of and am afraid may come out of the Mississippi river. And sausage made of most of that stuff! They proudly advertise it.

 

[R2elk]

By the way....there is a meat market here that sells Guinea. They also sell rabbit, squirrel, raccoon & possum. And weird fish I've never heard of and am afraid may come out of the Mississippi river. And sausage made of most of that stuff! They proudly advertise it.

Bunnies are delicious. I have eaten a lot of squirrels fixed a number of different ways. Raccoon can be good if cooked properly. I just couldn't bring myself to eat possum but from what I have heard it can be greasy. Ground hog (Woodchuick) and Rock Chucks are good also. All fish can be good if cooked properly for the kind of fish it is.

If it is a fish that comes out of the Mississippi River, it may be full of mercury.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

By the way....there is a meat market here that sells Guinea. They also sell rabbit, squirrel, raccoon & possum. And weird fish I've never heard of and am afraid may come out of the Mississippi river. And sausage made of most of that stuff! They proudly advertise it.

I've never tried guinea but I'd be willing.... Maybe I'll get one at a swap this year just to try it lol. I've had squirrel once and it was fantastic. The rabbit I tried was ok. It probably could've been good if cooked differently. A friend's of hubby's have him some venison to try the other day so I ground it up and made a meat loaf out of it. Every one of us loved it

 

[rjohns39]

Bigger is better..... especially when you don't know how big your operation will get.....

Yup, was fine with a single fence, but adding 1 1/2 more fences weakened it's bite.

Yeah Rjohns....what's your plan this year? Agree...our weather has been so weird this year.

I don't have a clue. I'm all over the place. I still can't find decent feed and haven't been able to make the drive to Kentucky to check out what they have. And I don't have storage space for a full Ton. If funds permit, I'll buy four more 55 gallon drums so I can store more than a ton feed, then just order it from VA. Shipping is $40/bag up to 10 bags, 10 - 40 bags is a flat $200 and will be less if I pick up at the depot. Considering the cost of gas, a trailer rental and the fact I don't have any experience with the feed in KY, it makes more sense to just get it from VA.

Once I solve the feed issue, and I have to as I have an order for meat ducks in early spring, I then have to decide what varieties I want to continue raising and how many to re-seed my stock. I definitely want Nari and bourbon. I have 3 RP hens, but no Tom and my blacks gave pretty petite poults this year. In fact my turkey hatch was pretty terrible this year, which I blame largely on inadequate feed. I like the eye candy the RPs provide, but they seem the least hearty variety for here. So back to no clue at the moment.

 

[rjohns39]

I love fried rabbit, biscuits and gravy. Back when I was growing up, the deal was: If mom woke up to a rabbit soaking in the sink, that was breakfast.

 

[R2elk]

It is New Year's day so I had our traditional family dinner of Pork & Sauerkraut with dumplings and mashed potatoes. Needless to say, my belly hurts from overeating. It was delicious.

 

[memphis]

Rjohns...seems it's a hassle & expensive to feed the way you want. How about trying a commercial feed just to see how that works? I'm too lazy to delve into the science of mixing feed. Know quite a few folks ( mostly dog show folks) who jumped on the raw diet for dogs. Geez, what a hassle. I have a hard time finding time to cook for myself much less the dogs. Expensive, plus there were a bunch of extra additives, like some kind of vitamins you need to add in correct dosages. Not to mention hauling it & keeping it cold at dog shows. I dont think I know anyone feeding it anymore.