Blue Slate Turkey

[Legacy Farms]

Our local feed store is getting in a shipment of blue slate turkeys on Friday. I was thinking about getting a couple. Does anyone have any experience with them? Temperament? Behavior? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[R2elk]

Our local feed store is getting in a shipment of blue slate turkeys on Friday. I was thinking about getting a couple. Does anyone have any experience with them? Temperament? Behavior? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Blue Slate

 

[Legacy Farms]

Blue Slate

Thank you for the link, I have read a lot about them online. I was hoping for personal experience with them. ☺

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for the link, I have read a lot about them online. I was hoping for personal experience with them. ☺

I raised Blue Slates for years. They reproduced for me much better than my Bourbon Reds ever did.

I switched to using a Self Blue (aka Lavender) tom to get away from hatching out any black turkeys. The 3 possibilities when breeding a Blue Slate to a Blue Slate are Blue Slate, Self Blue and Black. This is because the Blue Slates are heterozygous for the Slate gene (Dd). Slate is a dominant gene and only requires the presence of one gene for the slate color to be displayed.

All of the heritage turkeys are pretty much the same as far as temperament and behavior. The exception is the Royal Palm which being a smaller bird, flies very well and tends to be a little more aloof.

Turkeys all have their own individual personalities.

I do not recommend having just a couple of turkeys unless you are keeping a pair of hens as pets. If planning to raise your own turkeys from them, I try to keep at least 4 to 5 hens for one tom. It makes it much easier on the hens during breeding season.

 

[Legacy Farms]

I raised Blue Slates for years. They reproduced for me much better than my Bourbon Reds ever did.

I switched to using a Self Blue (aka Lavender) tom to get away from hatching out any black turkeys. The 3 possibilities when breeding a Blue Slate to a Blue Slate are Blue Slate, Self Blue and Black. This is because the Blue Slates are heterozygous for the Slate gene (Dd). Slate is a dominant gene and only requires the presence of one gene for the slate color to be displayed.

All of the heritage turkeys are pretty much the same as far as temperament and behavior. The exception is the Royal Palm which being a smaller bird, flies very well and tends to be a little more aloof.

Turkeys all have their own individual personalities.

I do not recommend having just a couple of turkeys unless you are keeping a pair of hens as pets. If planning to raise your own turkeys from them, I try to keep at least 4 to 5 hens for one tom. It makes it much easier on the hens during breeding season.

Thank you! That is what I needed to know. I know the feed store will get straight run so I will get 5 and hope that 4 are hens. I've not found a hatchery that can send before June. June in Northern Arizona is hell, we go from high 70's to 100+ overnight. I don't think youngsters would do well in extreme heat.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you! That is what I needed to know. I know the feed store will get straight run so I will get 5 and hope that 4 are hens. I've not found a hatchery that can send before June. June in Northern Arizona is hell, we go from high 70's to 100+ overnight. I don't think youngsters would do well in extreme heat.

Buying 5 straight run, I have gotten 2 tom and 3 hens, 3 toms and 2 hens and 4 toms and 1 hen. I have never gotten 4 hens and 1 tom.

If you want early shipments, you have to order really early, like in December of the previous year. Even then, around the first of May is the earliest to expect any heritage varieties. I currently have turkey eggs in the incubator due to hatch May 2. This will be my first hatch of the year.

 

[Legacy Farms]

Buying 5 straight run, I have gotten 2 tom and 3 hens, 3 toms and 2 hens and 4 toms and 1 hen. I have never gotten 4 hens and 1 tom.

If you want early shipments, you have to order really early, like in December of the previous year. Even then, around the first of May is the earliest to expect any heritage varieties. I currently have turkey eggs in the incubator due to hatch May 2. This will be my first hatch of the year.

A girl can always hope! I know my odds are not that great, but it is what it is. I was not thinking about getting turkeys last year, but now I know when to order for specific types. My husband is looking to get an incubator so I may look into buying fertile eggs to hatch.
I'm a little concerned with a small window of acceptable weather here. Until last week we were still down in the high 20's to low 30's at night. It is not unheard of for us to have 30-50 degree temp changes from day to night here. June is out of the question they would roast before they had a chance. May could possibly be the latest to have poults. It will be a learning curve, one which I'd rather not lose birds to.

 

[Bo Garrett]

I began raising slates about 40 years ago, still have pictures of me with them at age 12, and never had issues with temperament. The slates I have now are very large, toms are about 33 lbs and beautifully colored. I prefer to breed slate to slate to get all three color varieties. There is another variant of the slate gene that was first observed in the 1930's and showed up in a flock of bronze turkeys, the birds were evenly colored slate but had the barred markings of the bronze in the wings and pencilling in the tail feathers. I have ordered some of these recessive slates this spring as they are very rare and only a small number exist in the U.S. right now.
I currently breed and show slates, bronze, auburn, holland white, black and self blue. I am awaiting the arrival of regal reds, recessive slates and chocolate poults in a few weeks.

I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised by your turkeys, they are inquisitive and more responsive than chickens, they also can be herded like geese and ducks which makes it easier to put them to bed at night. I have a command I chatter in the evenings and the turkeys respond by going to the open gate on the pen.

Blessings,

Bo