California - Northern

[sewandgrow]

A neighbor just came over and wondered if I would incubate Turkey eggs for them.

What is the deal with Turkeys. Are they difficult?

They must not be Rebecca because I have done it. Denny Thomas ( Lotsapaints ) brought eggs for me & I hatched several. I am sure you can getting hatching instruction help here on this thread. I did it with chicken eggs because the turkeys take longer so I was able to take the chicks out & close it back up & leave the Turkeys going. I did it in a Hovabator Genesis before they had the digital temp & hygrometer. The feeding the new poults was a little different, higher protein but they are grown now & laying eggs for me themselves.

 

[sewandgrow]

Awesome blossom! Let me kow how the show goes.


Do they ever have them in Santa Rosa or Yuba.. maybe Woodland?

Santa Rosa Heirloom Expo has a poultry show in Sept. It was great I hope to go regularly. So much to see & learn & plants/trees, seeds to buy etc...etc....etc...

 

[lualshannon]

I have a question: is it true that geese and turkeys would deter some of the smaller predators, and raptors? In the past, we had geese, and mute swans, but at that time we didn't have fox, bobcats, and raptors visiting the development we are living in, therefore have no personal reference. I would love to have some geese if this theory is true. Oh, I know they would not be able to stand up to fox, or bobcats, but, would be great help with the falcons and hawks if 'it is true.

Lual

 

[Happy Chooks]

So is a broody better than a brinsea?

Trying to decide which eggs to put under my broody and which ones to put in the brinsea with humidity pump.
I would say normally the broody is better, but the brinsea is too.

She's never crushed eggs. Last broody time she got moved off her nest just once, but put her back on and no issues.

Most of the time, yes. But every once in a while you get a psycho broody. If she's a repeat broody, chances are she'll do fine.

 

[sewandgrow]

Ok, mini rant here. Why do people always think others are deliberately trying to screw them up? I do know the Po is frustrating, but really? they know the PO tries to break and throw anything fragile?? Don't write on it, if it says fragile they will break it! And people who insist if eggs don't hatch they are infertile. Clearly nothing to do with your incubator or the fact its amazing anything shipped hatches at ALL. Why in the WORLD would I bother to send you infertile eggs and have to deal with you yelling at me???

Poach an egg, then tell me if you see a bulls eye in it. No? That is what can happen when it is in the incubator for 21 days! None of this is being directed at me, but the lack of faith we have in other humans, and the desire we have to immediately attack some when or something when stuff goes wrong makes me frustrated and sad. Its no wonder so many people stop selling eggs.

Sorry, this is a nonjudgmental place to yell.

Now Shantih, I am just the opposite & always think most people mean to be kind & honest. Unfortunately that is not always true but I prefer to keep thinking that way. It is kind of the Golden Rule thing. I don't expect any worse behavior by others than I do myself. However I myself prefer NOT to deal with shipped eggs for whatever the reason. I hate the disappointment. I have home grown & hand delivered eggs in now & am ready to fill my new incubator with Delaware & Lavender Orp eggs that Jules (fortyfivefarm) & her husband Mike delivered to me today along with 10 Guineas & a batch of Guinea eggs. We shall see...............So far the incubator has stayed right one. I think my husband likes the humidity module on the R Com better than the one on the new Brinsea.

 

[Audio51]

Norma is officially broody. She has been quasi joined in broodiness by Petunia who spent most of the day in the nest but got up this morning for quite some time. She may be back on now I am at work so don't know. Yesterday she and Norma were playing musical boxes. I only have two in that coop...just 6 hens and I am not sure what I will do if this continues when they have fertile eggs under them. I guess I will put one in a little broody "coop" inside the main pen and hope she goes for it.



L to R Jamie Lee Curtis, Norma, Petunia

I hope they settle down soon and get serious about not playing musical chairs. Last year, all of mine kept trading their nest boxes which I was worried nothing would hatch, but, all went fine..
I moved my current broody Marans to one of the 2 nest boxes in the broody coop because of the same problem. I don't think it was so much her moving as the others hens pushing her out of the prime boxes and her just moving over rather than waiting for the box with the eggs to be available again. She has been in the same one since I moved her. The broody with the chicks is occupying the downstairs ans they should be ready to move out of there by the time these hatch. They are not my eggs anyway so the chicks will be going to new homes shortly after hatch.

 

[casportpony]

I have a question: is it true that geese and turkeys would deter some of the smaller predators, and raptors? In the past, we had geese, and mute swans, but at that time we didn't have fox, bobcats, and raptors visiting the development we are living in, therefore have no personal reference. I would love to have some geese if this theory is true. Oh, I know they would not be able to stand up to fox, or bobcats, but, would be great help with the falcons and hawks if 'it is true.

Lual

I have three large geese, several turkeys, many peafowl and recently lost three chickens in one night to a fox.

-Kathy

 

[Kaylish]

More babies!

I don't mean to talk you out of downsizing, but sell the eggs to your co-workers. Also, keep in mind that they will slow down in fall and not lay as much as they are right now.

That is how I got most of my egg customers. Once they taste REAL eggs, they don't want the supermarket eggs any more!

REAL EGGS!!!!

That's how we ended up with chickens; I got some eggs from a friend and hubby REFUSED to go back to supermarket eggs.

 

[chiqita]

THANK YOU!!! I stopped reading the "Angry PO threads" because they upset me. I've tried to explain the process to people, but they usually don't want to listen. I think people want to believe that they didn't do anything wrong, so they (in their mind) put the blame off on anyone or anything else. Why on earth would someone that sells eggs delibrately send you eggs that aren't fetile. It makes no sense. Of course their are @%# - h0les out there that might do something stupid, but they are very rare. If I got eggs, and I thought there was some kind of issue with them, I would let the seller know what the outcome was. I would do it as feedback though, not blame.

I mean what do they think?? " hrm, I going on a break. Im not going to go to the loo, chat, use my cellphone, go smoke, OH NOOO! I have this nice big stack of boxes that are maked fragile LIVE EMBRYOS!. Im going to kick all of them and put them on a pallet! That should take about 15 minutes!"
( Ok, if it was turkey eggs, MAYYYBE turkeys have chased a LOT of people and do seem to create fear in the heart of rural service workers)

I have a question: is it true that geese and turkeys would deter some of the smaller predators, and raptors? In the past, we had geese, and mute swans, but at that time we didn't have fox, bobcats, and raptors visiting the development we are living in, therefore have no personal reference. I would love to have some geese if this theory is true. Oh, I know they would not be able to stand up to fox, or bobcats, but, would be great help with the falcons and hawks if 'it is true.

Lual

maybe geese, Turkeys don't stop the hawks from flying around here. My girls however, know how to avoid them and do a lot of lounging around under bushes during the hours the hawks learn to hunt with mamma. Mind you, the turkeys are LOUD when they see hawks.. or planes... or helicopters.. or bicyclists.. or hear the dog...

Most of the time, yes. But every once in a while you get a psycho broody. If she's a repeat broody, chances are she'll do fine.

I still remember your orphington with her invisible chicks fondly...

 

[fowlman01]

I have a question: is it true that geese and turkeys would deter some of the smaller predators, and raptors? In the past, we had geese, and mute swans, but at that time we didn't have fox, bobcats, and raptors visiting the development we are living in, therefore have no personal reference. I would love to have some geese if this theory is true. Oh, I know they would not be able to stand up to fox, or bobcats, but, would be great help with the falcons and hawks if 'it is true.

Lual

if a predator is hungry a goose isn't going to stop them. They will kill the goose. I had a raccoon here years ago that would kill and eat any geese here including the Egyptian geese which foxes want no part of. Foxes will kill geese, they seem to be partial to waterfowl.
Walt