A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[memphis]

Ralphie...they are too cute. Love it!

I was out weeding & trimming in the front. Of course the girls came along. Had hands full of shears & weeds & got tangled in some plant stakes. Literally did a face plant in my front yard. Had to sit there a bit before I got up. Both girls came & sat with me. Two neighbors drove by, honked & waved. I'm sure we looked odd. Just the three of us sitting around. I just petted on them till I could get up. They were no help getting me to my feet. But they seemed to sympathetic. Sort of....

 

[memphis]

Love that beer belly Turkey Ralph!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I picked up these cuties a week ago. They're our first turkey poults. About 6 years ago we raised some heritage turkeys (Black Spanish, Palm, Bourbon red) for Thanksgiving but they were already big when we got them. We really just finished them off for a month before processing. I remember them being very tough unimpressive birds. I don't think they were ready for butchering.

With these 2 I'll have a much better idea of how they were raised and age at processing (30 weeks). I'm hoping that'll result in tastier birds for our effort.

One of them already seems really interested in roosting (on top of their water). Is that typical of poults?

 

[sfgwife]

I picked up these cuties a week ago. They're our first turkey poults. About 6 years ago we raised some heritage turkeys (Black Spanish, Palm, Bourbon red) for Thanksgiving but they were already big when we got them. We really just finished them off for a month before processing. I remember them being very tough unimpressive birds. I don't think they were ready for butchering.

With these 2 I'll have a much better idea of how they were raised and age at processing (30 weeks). I'm hoping that'll result in tastier birds for our effort.

One of them already seems really interested in roosting (on top of their water). Is that typical of poults?

View attachment 1735332

Just remember when processing them to leave several days for them to be in the fridge before cookin. . That will help a TON with the toughness.

 

[sfgwife]

@R2elk my genetics guru.

If i got blue slates... i remember you sayin they don’t breed true... or at least i think i remember you sayin that. So what would they be with breeding bs tom to bs hens then? What would i need put together to get bs from one of the parents being ns... if that is possible? Or is it always breed x and x to get one year of bs poults?

And iirc you also said that sweetgrass wont breed true as well. What do i need to make sg? Amd after we got poults that grew up to keep.... how do we keep the sg true?

I love our mutts but have been seriously thinkin on these two breeds for next year since we do not see them round these parts much. They may sell well for us. It is just a thought right now obviously. we jave only seen bs at a flock swap amd i was just lucky to come by my sg hen when we went to pick up that nasty rp tom last year.

 

[duluthralphie]

I picked up these cuties a week ago. They're our first turkey poults. About 6 years ago we raised some heritage turkeys (Black Spanish, Palm, Bourbon red) for Thanksgiving but they were already big when we got them. We really just finished them off for a month before processing. I remember them being very tough unimpressive birds. I don't think they were ready for butchering.

With these 2 I'll have a much better idea of how they were raised and age at processing (30 weeks). I'm hoping that'll result in tastier birds for our effort.

One of them already seems really interested in roosting (on top of their water). Is that typical of poults?

View attachment 1735332

Grats on the birds..

Beware those are most likely BB so 30 weeks may be hard for them..

They will need good protein when young. As they get older keep them as active as possible. Free range if possible. Make them forage for food.

When I process I feed them gobs of corn for the last month. I find it packs on fat and seems to make them tenderer and tastier.. of course that could just be in my mind too. I butcher my thanksgiving day turkey on Sunday afternoon before thanksgiving to help tenderize it..

Good luck

 

[PolarBerry]

Of these two colors of heritage birds, which is your preferred: blue slate or narragansett? I do have bourbon reds so would possibly play around with colors in the future (as a separate thing)... Just looking for input

 

[duluthralphie]

@R2elk my genetics guru.

If i got blue slates... i remember you sayin they don’t breed true... or at least i think i remember you sayin that. So what would they be with breeding bs tom to bs hens then?

And iirc you also said that sweetgrass wont breed true as well. What do i need to make sg? Amd after we got poults that grew up to keep.... how do we keep the sg true?

I love our mutts but have been seriously thinkin on these two breeds for next year since we do not see them round these parts much. They may sell well for us. It is just a thought right now obviously. we jave only seen bs at a flock swap amd i was just lucky to come by my sg hen when we went to pick up that nasty rp tom last year.

as I recall they will be 50% blacks and 50% blue slates.. you cannot get slates from this mating..

 

[duluthralphie]

Here is what a hen that has been sitting on a nest for 4 months looks like...

I see in the video she had more eggs I did not put under her... so she might actually hatch something some day.

She is so high up on that pile of cages and old nests I can’t see into the box. I had to hold the phone above my head to record her.. note the snake like hiss. Maybe she wants to be a goose.

 

[sfgwife]

Here is what a hen that has been sitting on a nest for 4 months looks like...

I see in the video she had more eggs I did not put under her... so she might actually hatch something some day.

She is so high up on that pile of cages and old nests I can’t see into the box. I had to hold the phone above my head to record her.. note the snake like hiss. Maybe she wants to be a goose.

Oh my! So. How in the world did she get eggs up there? And how you gonna get her to be unbroody... if that is what you are tryin to do? I have a rp hen that last year it seems like it took me forever (probably bout six or so weeks in reality) and i tried every trick i could find to get her out of the “mood”... finally i gave up and gave her chicken eggs. I was really hopin she would be the first to go broody this year so i could give her eggs. But of course that didnt work out. If/when she goes broody this year i am just not even gonna try break her and give in early to get it over with. Hahahaa.