A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

I have visions of Daisy giving them flying lessons. My neighbors freak when they see her flying....can't imagine the whole flock flying down the street!
Should I trim a wing on each?

I wouldn’t unless it became a problem.

 

[R2elk]

I wouldn’t unless it became a problem.

X2

 

[aliciaplus3]

my Dd is smiling because she is holding the first egg from her 4-h turkeys that hatched Jan 1st

 

[duluthralphie]

View attachment 1829010 my Dd is smiling because she is holding the first egg from her 4-h turkeys that hatched Jan 1st

Hatched 6 months ago and laying already?

 

[aliciaplus3]

Hatched 6 months ago and laying already?

They turn 7 months old monday.. they are the only birds in that enclosure. Our stilts was the same, hatched Jan and laying by 7 months.... I have read most folks expect eggs at a year old?

 

[R2elk]

They turn 7 months old monday.. they are the only birds in that enclosure. Our stilts was the same, hatched Jan and laying by 7 months.... I have read most folks expect eggs at a year old?

Most poults are not hatched in January because most people do not supply their turkeys with the supplemental lighting necessary to get them laying that early.

Turkeys are sexually mature at 6 months old (unless late developers). Since most are hatched late in the year, they do not normally begin laying until the following spring. In many cases they are only 6 to 8 months old when they begin laying. My 7 month old hens began laying in the middle of March this year.

 

[Sara L]

I raised broad breasted bronze hens two years ago and they started laying in November, about 2-3 weeks before we invited them to dinner. At the time I really wished we had a traditional tom to get half broad breasted turkeys. I think that's a project I will try in the future.

 

[duluthralphie]

This is the first year I have had January turkeys.

An egg would be a shocker for me, but cool




PS. I still think she is 6 month old, Closing in on 7.

 

[R2elk]

I raised broad breasted bronze hens two years ago and they started laying in November, about 2-3 weeks before we invited them to dinner. At the time I really wished we had a traditional tom to get half broad breasted turkeys. I think that's a project I will try in the future.

There are companies that already have developed mid range (between BB and heritage) turkeys and have them available for sale. They claim they can breed naturally.

You never know what will show up in your own flock. I had a BB Blue Slate tom. I suspect it was from a gene mutation but it is possible that it was just a hidden recessive gene that happened to be homozygous in his case. He never got to reproduce because I didn't realize that he was broad breasted until I was plucking him.

 

[Flashpoint]

Ugh. Newbie turkey egg hatchers (like me) should be banned from reading 100's of posts AND scientific studies about hatching said eggs. Especially when the newbie is attempting to hatch the most sought for eggs that were difficult to get in the first place.

EVERYONE has a different opinion - from the beginning hatching temp in the incubator - which can apparently include pre-incubation temps and then hatching at 37C to 38C. Then there is the level of humidity - where some say go dry and with others who say go high. Of course, the final "lockdown" phase also has wide-ranging differences where some recommend lowing temp 1 degree to others that say it should be a degree higher. The ONLY thing anyone seems to agree with is added humidity.

Makes me just go