Blue Slates

[christyb]

I am due to pick up a couple of just hatched blue slate poults in a few weeks and just wondered if anyone here has any first hand experience with the type? I've never kept turkeys before and wanted to go with a smaller, somewhat calm bird....I hope I made a good choice!

Also, do turkeys prefer to roost out in trees or will they learn to come in at night like my chickens? The chickens roost in their own pens in the barn at night and I'd prefer my turkeys do the same.

Thanks!!

 

[miss_jayne]

i have some. very easy going and calm. my turkeys come in at night and sometimes roost in trees.

hope you enjoy them.

 

[gypsy2621]

I have 3 week and 4 week old Slates in the house right now.
sweet little birds, less noisey than my 5 week old Midget Whites.
Much less aggrssive to each other than the MW's also.
Although there is one little Black Slate Tom who just loves to tease the puppy into sticking his nose on the crate so he can peck him one

Silly dog still hasnt learned.

I love the breed and seriously recomend them to someone who is new to raising turkeys.

 

[chickensioux]

Here's my 5 week olds. Sapphire and Skye. They are very sweet and calm. I love them.

 

[christyb]

Oh my goodness! I can hardly WAIT!!

 

[lcourtaway]

My blue slate will be five weeks in a couple days. I've never raised turkeys before so I can't be of much help but my little dude is so sweet and so silly and does the cutest things. He is very calm and is being raised with 4 chicks of the same age. Turkey poults are just the coolest little things. Have fun!

 

[Shaun]

We have one Blue Slate hen, named "Swan" as she was the only hatch and when we tried to put her under a hen with newly hatched chicks, both Mama hens drove her away. Remember the story of the ugly duckling?

I'm not sure what she thinks she is, but she is nothing like the BBB or BBWs we once raised years ago. She is very smart, follows us around like a puppy and begs for attention. I'm sure this is because she imprinted on us. She was raised with a couple of chicks to keep her company, and those two chickens can always be seen nearby. Everyone goes in the same henhouse at night - well they did until she got broody and we decided to let her set. She doesn't put up with any sass from the roosters, one tried to give her some grief once, she hopped up, landed on his back, flattened him while doing some turkey version of tap dancing and hopped off with a very loud "TUT" End of problem.

She does not perch in trees, but she can fly quite well. I understand she will lose this ability as she ages, but she still does OK now. You'll love these birds.

We got some eggs from a friend on this board, they are due to hatch Monday, so we are waiting with crossed fingers.

 

[christyb]

LOL 'turkey tap dance'

I have an obnoxious roo that could use a little of that kind of therapy!

 

[AHappychick]

ohh can I hear more lol I am hatching some soon and am curious will predators bother them, will they fly away? how loud do adults gobble, would a tom scare away hawks? Are girls more quiet than boys. I would have done more research but the eggs just appeared from PC and I set them with out thinking lol

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
predators will bother young poults. keep them protected as you would chicks a/o ducklings etc.

turkeys will most likely NOT fly away. they can fly well, but usually choose not to. mostly for getting up to perch for sleeping.

they gobble pretty loudly.

yes, Toms can scare hawks away and they can actually kind of form a camouflage with each other. they spread out and form a block with each other. but it is NO GUARANTEE that hawks will not still hurt/kill etc.

females don't gobble but they still make a very neat range of noises.

only 28 days to go!