calling any one from missouri

[1cock2hens]

doesnt look like the wind effected me at all but it does get pretty crazy at the top of these hills // anybody have a good resource for ID'ing wild bird species here in missouri? I have had the most interesting little guy hanging around, im going to try to get a pic soon. He's tiny and brown like half the size of a quail and i see him running around in the underbrush and grassy areas, I have never witnessed it flying, I got really close today and he puffed up his chest and fanned his tail just like a teeny-tiny turkey lol hopped at me a little then just walked away



edited to say i think its a ruffed grouse

 

[FourShuesFarm]

$5 for a grown chicken, wow thats too cheap

 

[karenerwin]

I'm thinking of growing my own Thanksgiving turkey(s) this year. But I've never had turkeys before, my coworker says his solitary tom got along with his chickens just fine. Is it hard to do? And does anyone have any eggs they would be interested in selling me? I only want to do a couple at most, and I don't think the hatchery will only sell me two. Have an incubator.

If you get any good advice, I'd like to hear it also. I have been thinking about raising a turkey or 2 myself, but so far I haven't tried it.

 

[daxigait]

$5 for a grown chicken, wow thats too cheap

Yes, but for half grown cockerels it is better than feeding or processing them for me.

 

[daxigait]

I'm thinking of growing my own Thanksgiving turkey(s) this year. But I've never had turkeys before, my coworker says his solitary tom got along with his chickens just fine. Is it hard to do? And does anyone have any eggs they would be interested in selling me? I only want to do a couple at most, and I don't think the hatchery will only sell me two. Have an incubator.

I am not sure where you are, but Estes hatchery near Springfield has turkey, and there is another near KC called Heartland hatchery that sells at feed stores all around MO in the spring. You could also try poultry swaps, but you don't know if the parent flock has mycoplasma if that effects turkeys, I don't know turkey issues.
I know Heartland hatchery will bring you specific things including eggs to the feed store sales if you contact them ahead of time.

 

[SueT]

doesnt look like the wind effected me at all but it does get pretty crazy at the top of these hills // anybody have a good resource for ID'ing wild bird species here in missouri? I have had the most interesting little guy hanging around, im going to try to get a pic soon. He's tiny and brown like half the size of a quail and i see him running around in the underbrush and grassy areas, I have never witnessed it flying, I got really close today and he puffed up his chest and fanned his tail just like a teeny-tiny turkey lol hopped at me a little then just walked away



edited to say i think its a ruffed grouse

I looked up the ruffled grouse on Cornell Lab of Ornithology... https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruffed_grouse/id ---and it doesn't show them in MO at all. But that doesn't mean they couldn't be found outside their range.... I hope you get a pic! I would be interested in seeing this bird!

 

[1cock2hens]

@SueT thats interesting, if you look at the missouri dept of conservation website they are found in over a 1/3rd of missouri https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/ruffed-grouse // I have been researching what to grow to make them feel more at home but there doesnt seem to be much more i can do, my property is ideal for them with a spring,14 acres of forrest with tons of serviceberry trees and almost half an acre of blackberry plants for them to hide in and feed on. Ruffed grouse eat ticks!!!

they are interesting birds i just saw this on another site "The chicks are precocial, which means that as soon as they have dried following hatching they are ready to leave the nest and start feeding themselves. Grouse chicks are not much larger than a man's thumb when they leave the nest. They are surprisingly mobile and may be moving farther than 1/4 mile a day by the time they are 3 or 4 days old. They begin flying when about 5 days old, and resemble giant bumble bees in flight. The hen may lead her brood as far as 4 miles from the nest to a summer brood range during its first 10 days of life."

 

[SueT]

@SueT thats interesting, if you look at the missouri dept of conservation website they are found in over a 1/3rd of missouri https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/ruffed-grouse // I have been researching what to grow to make them feel more at home but there doesnt seem to be much more i can do, my property is ideal for them with a spring,14 acres of forrest with tons of serviceberry trees and almost half an acre of blackberry plants for them to hide in and feed on.

they are interesting birds i just saw this on another site "The chicks are precocial, which means that as soon as they have dried following hatching they are ready to leave the nest and start feeding themselves. Grouse chicks are not much larger than a man's thumb when they leave the nest. They are surprisingly mobile and may be moving farther than 1/4 mile a day by the time they are 3 or 4 days old. They begin flying when about 5 days old, and resemble giant bumble bees in flight. The hen may lead her brood as far as 4 miles from the nest to a summer brood range during its first 10 days of life."

Wow! It certainly does show them in MO, tho it says rare....you are lucky to have them! We have woods too, we are in Barton County, I'm going to be looking for them. Never heard of precocial chicks! Amazing. Giant bumblebees in flight.....

 

[10AcreChick]

Quote:
I am in Central MO, right near Jefferson City. Around here, I never see poults at the feed stores during "chick days". Just chickens, ducks and geese. I've noticed on BYC that in other parts of the country they get all kinds of breeds at their feed stores, here just RIR and production red and buffs. How boring.

I'll try contacting Cackle Hatchery and Heartland.

 

[genesis120]

I am new to BYC. I am in Fayette and have had chickens 3 years. I have my first batch of eggs in a homemade incubator. This site is very informative and useful so far.