Blue Slate Questions

[NancyinAlaska]

I got 3 Blue Slate Turkeys I think in July this past year, one black tom, one blue slate hen, and one splash hen, so I guess they're about 6 months old. My tom has started fanning out and his neck gets all red when he's excited, I guess the mating ritual stuff. Another thing, his tail feathers are really ratty, not flashy and pretty when he fans them out broken and short, ot sure how they got that way, the girl's aren't. Is there anything I can do to help them grow back in?, or do I have to wait till he molts? When do turkeys usually molt??

I also have a female wild turkey female that seems to be about the same age, I rescued her from animal control, nobody wanted her, she'd been there awhile and it was wintertime in Alaska, so............................home with me she came.

I would like to try and hatch some eggs. Anyone ever do a wild w/a blue slate cross??? At what age do the hens start laying? Should I separate the females when they start laying. Will they sit on their eggs or is it better to incubate? Since the blue breeds either black splash or blue, how often does the blue show up?? When should I bring an outcross in?
I'm new to chickens, this is my 2nd winter, and my 1st with turkeys, I could probably look all of this up, but there's not as much fun in that.

SO.............................I look forward to all of the "wisdom" I know I'll be getting back...THANKS!

 

[ljf24]

Hi! Eventually the feathers on your tom will grow back. There are certain foods you can give him that will help with that. Your hens should start to lay this spring. You can allow your hens to hatch the eggs, but when the poults hatch you need to take them from her. It takes something like 7 weeks ( i think ) for a poults immune system to develop. Therefore, they easily can catch many different diseases.

 

[Kennyog]

You just need to watch the hens and see how they act.Sometimes they will fight over one anothers nest and break eggs in the process.As far as how often the blue slate color will show,with what you have there is no way to predict it.You will get it,but how often is a guess.The best way to get blue slates is to use a blue slate tom on self blue hens.Here is a good link for turkey information.

www.porterturkeys.com