backyard turkeys??

[Marengoite]

I especially like the "bird" in the lower left corner.

 

[Marengoite]

Last, where do you find MW turkey chicks?? I've been on crags list, poultry sites, can't seem to find any locally. What about hatchery birds??
Thanks!

I would suggest you could try Meyer: http://www.meyerhatchery.com/produc...rkeys&grd_prodone_filter=PRODUCT_ID = 'MIDWS' They carry them. and it looks like if you get an order in now, they might have some available.

I'm ordering some BRs from Eagle Nest in Osceola. We've had Meyer, Ridgeway, and Eagle Nest birds and like Eagle Nest the best so far. But they don't carry MWs.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

That is our chicken house cat. He thinks he is chicken. His name is Nervana.

 

[KristinMarie]

I have been trying to find information on raising turkeys as well. It is amazing to me that there is information on how to raise chickens EVERYWHERE but NOTHING on raising heritage turkeys. I'm really disappointed and confused.

 

[KristinMarie]

I have been running my turkeys with chickens for years. They even stay in the same coop. I started out seperate but the chickens kept jumping in the turkey pen and sneaking in their coop to roost at night so I eventually gave up and was very upset at the cost of a 1,200 dollar coop that wasn't really needed.
I have only had one instance with black head. One Tom came down with it. One morning his head just looked covered in blood. Like someone gave him rug burn all over it. I seperated him... gave him some womer (in a cow pellet form! Oh yeah! I'm fancy!). His head scabbed over (turned black with scabs) then peeled and he was fine. I returned him to the flock - and we ate him. I have been tested for pasasites and I am clean.
I live so far out in the sticks and off too many wild animals to not get tested occasionally.
I think you would do fine with the midget whites or even a pair of heritage turkeys if they were let out during the day for exercise. I have a small coop and I free range all day so the small space isn't much of a problem most of the year. It is in the summer time as I can't ever go on vacation because the coop is too cramped for a heat exchange and I need to be here to round stuff up in the evenings.
It sounds like you have a nice set up!

I have always bought hatchery birds. But this year I will incubate my own due to the hatchery bill. I would also be led to believe the multi-generational bird adapts to the area and thrives better than parents who live in a hatchery and aren't exposed to natural sunlight, grass and bugs.

I say get some birds and try it. The more space the better as you have to clean it less. The nice thing about poultry if you end up with too many is it's not hard to find homes - or just put them in the freezer at an early age.

The only time I will ever eat a store turkey again is when I have to go to other folks houses for Thanksgiving.

When you free range your turkeys do they ever wander off? I have free range chickens and am getting my first ever order of heritage turkeys in June and I would love to let them free range as well. I have several acres (which are not fenced in) but on one end I have a huge national forest they could run off into and on the other I have a road, which isn't busy but it is still not a good place for turkeys. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rosechickens]

We have heritage turkeys, chickens, and guineas that are free range in our backyard. Our only issues are the turkey hens going over the fence to lay eggs and that the roosters try to mount the turkey hens. That resulted in one of our roosters becoming blind in one eye. I think your turkeys will get along well as long as you don't have an aggressive chicken breed. Try asking a local feed store if they know of turkey breeders.

 

[Marengoite]

I have been trying to find information on raising turkeys as well. It is amazing to me that there is information on how to raise chickens EVERYWHERE but NOTHING on raising heritage turkeys. I'm really disappointed and confused.

That's because turkeys are so darn easy to raise. They are the most maintenance-free livestock i've ever seen. Once you get them fledged there's nothing much left to do but feed and water them.

 

[Marengoite]

Well, that last answer probably wasn't very helpful, was it?

Here are the resources my kids used for 4H:

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/4hpoultry/t02_pageview/Getting_Started_with_Poultry.htm

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/4hpoultry/t02_pageview/Columns.htm

 

[ButchGood]

I'm sure glad I found this thread. I've raised chickens for 11 years way back when. It's been over 20 years since I've had a flock. I got 16 chicks this spring to start a new flock. Buff Orps and Australorps. Now I'm thinking about taking on some Turkeys. I'm gonna go pick them up from Ideal poultry in Cameron Texas. They are abou a 1 hour drive. They have brOad breasted whites and bronze chicks available at thier hatchery. I'm going to pick up 3 toms and 2 hens. Keep the best pair and eat the rest. My problem is I don't think I have enough room in the henhouse for a dozen chickens and 2 Turkeys. They have 8 feet by 8 feet of floor space and a 26x27 yard. They will have 2 acres to free range when we are at the house.What kind of house do they need? I never raised Tukeys before. If you have advice or any good references I would appreciate it.

 

[ButchGood]

Just pulled the trigger. Ill have turkeys next week. just got 2 toms and 2 hens. Time to study.
Decided to start off with broad breasted bronze. Raise them up. Sell 2 and eat 2. If I like raising turkeys Ill get some breeding stock like the Bourbon Red or the Narragansett.