Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[satay]

*Touches wood* No Mareks. No, thank you. *Shudders* Doesn't sound like the living conditions for the Faverolles chicks were quite up to standard. My Guinea's were kept in cement runs and (though they were fed properly) they took a while to adapt to life in the sun. Grass seemed to surprise them for days, though they love it now. Guess what people! I'm picking up two new turkeys on Sunday! Two bronze hens 4-6 months old (I get to choose from two separate hatches, both turkey hen raised). Here are my currant two (because who wouldn't show off their turkeys if they were this cute), both Toms. Pinky is up the back and Brain is the slate/white cross up close. They are about 4-5 months old and yesterday they did their very first fluffing-up-like-a-big-Gobbler-thing (that's the technical term). They make the loveliest chirps . And, luckily, I'm told that Turkeys Toms aren't like roosters as in the don't fight as much. These two were raised together and I've never seen so much as a peck between them, so hopefully I won't have to re-home one (probably to the freezer if I can't find a good home). On another note, what sort of male-female ratio do most of you hatchers get from your chicks? I'm sitting on about 60%-65% Roosters so far.

Unfortunately toms will fight and quite savagely at breeding time and the rest of the time they are as nice as to each other. Luck my two have enough land to get away from each other but they can be quite brutal so you will need to keep an eye on them as they mature.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Welcome!

Tell us, what's your poison? Chickens? Ducks? Turkeys? Or all of the above?




No, Turkeys can be bad to young children, so not a family pet. That said, my two are great with my young cousin, but they are young themselves.

You CAN eat turkey eggs, and I'm told they taste good.. But they much better spent on other things. Most turkey hens will lay between 50-100 eggs a year (usually fewer) so it's better to sell or hatch them (if they are fertile) because then they'll be covering their own cost. Turkeys eat a lot of food, and mine are only as bit cheaper because I free-range but they still have feed in their coop should they want it. Turkeys hens a good at hatching their own young, but not so great at keeping them alive. I'll be keeping my broody turkeys in their own coop to minimise the loses.

Well I don't have young kids in the family my sister and I are plenty old enough.I don't mind 100 eggs per year but crap, forgot about the feed. I know they eat ALOT of feed and you have to get them like meat grower feed don't you, or Turkey feed?

Maybe they will be a project in the distant future.lol. I couldn't just have one, could I?

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Hay, I recognize this rooster.lol.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/nowra/birds/pet-quality-partridge-sizzle-rooster-nowra/1017458438

Saw this a was like, I know that!

( sorry if it upsets you )

 

[Colourful]

Well I don't have young kids in the family my sister and I are plenty old enough.I don't mind 100 eggs per year but crap, forgot about the feed. I know they eat ALOT of feed and you have to get them like meat grower feed don't you, or Turkey feed?

Maybe they will be a project in the distant future.lol. I couldn't just have one, could I?

As a future project, I would endorse trying out turkeys. But I wouldn't have just one, seeing as they are a flocking species, but just two should be fine. As for food, I think it depends on if you're going to free-range them or not. I've had mine two for over two months, and I'm only now running low on my turkey starter (about $20 for 20kg). That averages to about 3-8 kilo's of feed a month each (3 when young, 8 now that they're older). If you're raising them to eat, processing is at 6 months or so. You can do the math. It's cheaper to just buy the meat and there is always the chance what happened to me might happen to you; You buy them for home-grown free-range meat and then they look at you with those big eyes... tilt their heads...

And suddenly things get even more expensive... that said, their coop cost me nothing to build, I just used old materials. And they sure are nice to look at

Unfortunately toms will fight and quite savagely at breeding time and the rest of the time they are as nice as to each other. Luck my two have enough land to get away from each other but they can be quite brutal so you will need to keep an eye on them as they mature.

Thank you Satay. I'll keep a close eye on them! Hopefully the space with make things easier. When does breeding season start here in Australia for you? Everywhere I find on the internet tells me a different time...

 

[appps]

Congrats colorful. Looking forward to seeing the new additions!

Welcome AusssieHens!!

On the subject of hatch rates are chickens like people where its the male that determines if they turn out boy or girl? Was only wondering the other day because it would be interesting to see if certain roosters give better hen/rooster chick rates than others.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

As a future project, I would endorse trying out turkeys. But I wouldn't have just one, seeing as they are a flocking species, but just two should be fine. As for food, I think it depends on if you're going to free-range them or not. I've had mine two for over two months, and I'm only now running low on my turkey starter (about $20 for 20kg). That averages to about 3-8 kilo's of feed a month each (3 when young, 8 now that they're older). If you're raising them to eat, processing is at 6 months or so. You can do the math. It's cheaper to just buy the meat and there is always the chance what happened to me might happen to you; You buy them for home-grown free-range meat and then they look at you with those big eyes... tilt their heads...

And suddenly things get even more expensive... that said, their coop cost me nothing to build, I just used old materials. And they sure are nice to look at

Oh, I wouldn't do them for meat. Just as pets or to sell the eggs.

 

[satay]

Oh, I wouldn't do them for meat. Just as pets or to sell the eggs.

LOl but gobblers taste so good . Mine main ones are pets but the offspring a food .

 

[satay]

As a future project, I would endorse trying out turkeys. But I wouldn't have just one, seeing as they are a flocking species, but just two should be fine. As for food, I think it depends on if you're going to free-range them or not. I've had mine two for over two months, and I'm only now running low on my turkey starter (about $20 for 20kg). That averages to about 3-8 kilo's of feed a month each (3 when young, 8 now that they're older). If you're raising them to eat, processing is at 6 months or so. You can do the math. It's cheaper to just buy the meat and there is always the chance what happened to me might happen to you; You buy them for home-grown free-range meat and then they look at you with those big eyes... tilt their heads... And suddenly things get even more expensive... that said, their coop cost me nothing to build, I just used old materials. And they sure are nice to look at   



Thank you Satay. I'll keep a close eye on them! Hopefully the space with make things easier. When does breeding season start here in Australia for you? Everywhere I find on the internet tells me a different time...

Normally spring but mine are still laying now. I have never had a turkey hen or gobbler but anything but super friendly with people my 2 year old nephew loves to play with the g"s when he is here and they love him too. Mine at layer pellets and I find they would much rather get out to range then eat pellets most of the time.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

LOl but gobblers taste so good

. Mine main ones are pets but the offspring a food .

I would not know were to start. That's a good idea.

 

[Pinky Macgyver]

Haha, love the turkeys' names Colorful!