can someone please help me with this about turkeys and chickens

[maidenwolfx80]

so you let them free range huh? ewwww my neighbors would kill me OR kill them I live where if you leave your animals roam (dogs cats pigs or any animal we eat) they are either dead or on someones table. I know for a facy since we have had two pot belly pigs cme up in our yard and they were on our dinner table the third one was given to us but she had a leg problem and we dispatched her so she would not suffer any longer. I hate it when people let a animal suffer, we looked at her leg to see what could of happened but as we felt around on it from hoof to shoulder we couldn't feel anything wrong so we think maybe she hurt herself and it didn't heal right or she had athratis (SP?) in it she was fed dog food all her life and was very heavey at one time she had lost weight this is how we know she weighted more then hen she came to us. the guy that had her I don't think he was able to feed her and didn't have the heart to dispatch her. go figure.
The turkeys would not be able to free range on this I have able a acre of land and we are building a new house (traile over 2506 ft I think they said it was and this had to get done. I read or heard or one of you said they only lay eggs twice a year not like chickens is this so? I thought maybe to have turkey eggs for the table but trice a year?? not they is a way to make chickens lay more and no some decide this I don't but can you make a turkey lay more eggs as you do a chicken?? ok odd question nonesense questions they are birds and lay eggs I don't know if all birds if you limit light if they can lay more or less??? why less I know why less. and how about what turkey eggs are like taste like chicken ok I had ducks eggs and they are best to say ducky so many questions I get attacted to my animals and ore then likely this would be with the turkeys I raise rabbits for food and I have got attached to afew of our breeders and babies but when it is time it is time.

Am I making any sense here?

Rhayden

This post was hard to read and understand.

 

[Celie]

so you let them free range huh? ewwww my neighbors would kill me OR kill them I live where if you leave your animals roam (dogs cats pigs or any animal we eat) they are either dead or on someones table. I know for a facy since we have had two pot belly pigs cme up in our yard and they were on our dinner table the third one was given to us but she had a leg problem and we dispatched her so she would not suffer any longer. I hate it when people let a animal suffer, we looked at her leg to see what could of happened but as we felt around on it from hoof to shoulder we couldn't feel anything wrong so we think maybe she hurt herself and it didn't heal right or she had athratis (SP?) in it she was fed dog food all her life and was very heavey at one time she had lost weight this is how we know she weighted more then hen she came to us. the guy that had her I don't think he was able to feed her and didn't have the heart to dispatch her. go figure.
The turkeys would not be able to free range on this I have able a acre of land and we are building a new house (traile over 2506 ft I think they said it was and this had to get done. I read or heard or one of you said they only lay eggs twice a year not like chickens is this so? I thought maybe to have turkey eggs for the table but trice a year?? not they is a way to make chickens lay more and no some decide this I don't but can you make a turkey lay more eggs as you do a chicken?? ok odd question nonesense questions they are birds and lay eggs I don't know if all birds if you limit light if they can lay more or less??? why less I know why less. and how about what turkey eggs are like taste like chicken ok I had ducks eggs and they are best to say ducky so many questions I get attacted to my animals and ore then likely this would be with the turkeys I raise rabbits for food and I have got attached to afew of our breeders and babies but when it is time it is time.

Am I making any sense here?

Rhayden

I think Rhayden forgot to spell-check, but I will try to answer.

To let your flocks free range, you must have enough adequate fenced acreage zoned as Agriculture and abide by the laws regarding livestock. In my area we do not eat dogs or cats, etc. and there are leash laws for dogs, but not cats and pigs are either pets, like dogs are or livestock, but either way they have to be fenced in. IMO, if you are not going to be a humane responsible livestock owner, you should not raise livestock. But that just my opinion!

Turkey hens lay about 150 delicious eggs per year, most are laid in the spring through summer months and a few in the fall, maybe. This varies from bird to bird, as each is an individual and they are not all the same, same as chickens are. You can increase the laying of any bird, by increasing the length of the lighting they get, but this is un-natural and will shorten the life span of the birds. Commercial egg producers do it to get the hens to lay all of their eggs within a couple of years and then sell the spent hens,

usually to dog or cat food companies, to my knowledge, but I would not treat my flocks that way. The natural lifespan of a chicken is about 5 to 7 years, I think, and a turkey slightly longer, but as poultry ages, they produce fewer eggs, so after about 4 or 5 years, if you are not involved in breeding to improve the line, you would probably process your turkeys no older than 3 to 4 years old, when they have given you around 400 to 500 eggs, which you can either sell for incubation

, incubate for your next years poults or to sell as day old poults or older, or eat as they are much better tasting than chicken eggs, IMO! Turkey eggs are not usually sold for eating, because the poults they are hatched into are far more valuable.
I too raise large meat rabbits

, New Zealand Whites. At present I have 10 does and 2 bucks, non-related genetically to each other, because I sell to people who want to start breeding their own meat and because they are being sold non-related stock, in turn can sell healthy breeding stock to others. If an offspring is not sold by 12 weeks old, it goes to freezer camp

, because 11 weeks they have their last growth spurt, before the 14 week mark after which they start to toughen and are harder to skin. I currently have 80 young between the age of 1 and 8 weeks. My does usually have 11 to 13 to a litter. Rabbits provide more meat, for the amount of feed they eat than any poultry I know of. In the summer I feed them a lot of fresh grass clippings and greens, cukes, melons, carrots, etc from my 100% organic garden, and it really makes a difference in the amount of hay and feed they need. My poultry get whatever fruit from the Organic fruit orchard that falls to the ground or the feathered thieves can steal off the lower branches of the fruit trees!

We have about 40 fruit trees. All of my poultry flocks forage and keep the property bug free while consuming a lot of protein and green grass in the process and provide fertilizer for the pastures.

We have minnows in the pond that help feed the ducks and geese. Geese forage the most and require very little feed, ducks come in second, because they love the acorns and wild berries which are plentiful on the property.

Chickens eat a lot of feed, but turkeys eat a lot more, until they are fully grown at a year and a half to two years of age, then slack off on feed consumption. During the winter months, when foraging is poor, they consume twice as much feed

, in my experience. Some people in the Northern States do not winter over their turkeys, do to weather and feed consumption, but they also do not get the nice meaty turkeys that they can become in their second year of growth, either. I can harvest a Holland white turkey tom at about 8 to 9 months and it will be around 20 pounds after processing or process one at 18 months, that will weigh about 35 pounds

, with the additional 15 pounds being mostly added meat

(muscle and a much larger breast which seems to be the last to fill out)

.
I am sad

to say that ALL of my property is not fenced, yet, but we are working on it. I have a few acres of tall grass between me and my closest neighbor and for the most part, my turkeys do not enter the tall grass field. Only if they are chased. My dogs are trained to urinate along the property lines marking the boundaries for the flocks.

I have wonderful neighbors and have never had any problems.

The neighbors do not use their fields and love watching my flocks as well as all the local deer families, we all feed and enjoy the company of

. We have deer in the wooded areas of our property that are protected and fed by us all and do not allow any hunting

. On our property, we have right now 2 bucks, 4 does and every spring each doe has 2 fawns. If the population gets too big(because we also have wolves and fox nearby, this hasn't been a problem yet) we will get the proper hunting license and tags and take whatever has to be taken to bring the herds back into a good number and share the meat with the neighbors.

Also giving the neighbors free eggs, rabbit and turkey meat helps them to love our having our livestock here. Their kids and grand kids come to feed the ducks on a regular basis( I recently bought 4 mini-Rex rabbits to breed pets for the kids and grand-kids, so they can learn to love and nurture animals) and the joggers stop by to chat and pet the dogs and admire the birds. Before we lost our pheasants to Hurricane Gustoff, even the town police, would stop traffic and let a pheasant cross the road, when it got out of the gazebo! I do love living in a small country town with good Christian people!
I don't mean to rattle on, but this is how I think livestock, including turkeys should be raised. We do not live in a poor 3rd world country where people are st raving and eat whatever they can catch or steal, at least not yet!!!

 

[Henny peeny]

a... I didn't mean we eat the dogs and cats but our neighbors know not much can get past us.

WOW I don't think I am ready for a turkey of bigness or littleness I think maybe I should just let it go.

As for rabbits I breed twice how many times do you breed your rabbits it is only for my and my husband or if we have his kids living with us. I have had Flemish Giants now that is a rabbit they are not long and they are dispatched all the rabbits ( I know you know this to) are nice a tender and need no boiling as the wild one do. I have about 7 to 8 in litter ( think it is called a kindle or kittle, I have had dogs and most of the time you say litter all know what you are talking about) I have had rabbits for many years but of late it is harder to fine a good breding doe and not I don't purebred most are mutts but I don't care as long as they have a litter of at least 5 we are good.

You bring up about veggies I didn't know they may like I will have to through some of that stuff in. I pick grass and dandelions for them and apples carrots cucumber lettuce cabbage (not a lot of that) and I have tried parsnips but they don't like them I thought it was different but maybe to different.

The kids we have tried to have a rabbit but they don't understand not to squeeze it, and their mother well she didn't seem to be around you know how kids are they can get into a lot of things when no one is watching.

I don't think a turkey is what I need and no sorry about not using the spell check.

 

[Celie]

I only breed New Zealand White rabbits for meat and I have a very diverse genetic pool and keep impeccable records as I sell to others who want to breed both for meat and sell breeding stock to others. I have 10 does and 2 bucks and breed them every 60 days, except from July through September, because we have been getting triple digit temps at times during the summers. So that's about 4 to 5 times a year. I usually get 10 to 13 in a litter (kindle). Any that are not sold by 12 weeks, go into the freezer. Most are sold at 6 weeks, when they are weened. They make good fryers at 12 weeks. After 14 weeks I would stew them or slow roast them. A fact you might be interested it: A rabbit does not ovulate until she is bred, so she should be put with a buck several times during the day you breed her. Your does will produce larger litters that way. Carrot tops and parsley will help a doe to ovulate and mint will dry up a doe's milk. I hope I did not discourage you from raising your turkey, they are a lot of fun, but also have needs to be met, to get along with your neighbors. I good neighbor is a true blessing!

 

[Henny peeny]

no you didn't discourage me I just fond oout a turkey is not to be with me you just may n=me relize I was not able to care for one right, I want my animals happy, and reading all you wrote I don't have what they need in room and of course nieghbors and in turkey season around here I am sure if the turkey roamed he would be shot if female it is against the law to show WILD turkey hens BUT if they knew it was mine I am sure they would shot her if on their land. I live on a road that we all are related nearly I think 3 of use are not and there is not. and we all know each other and know who the pain is to.

Nope didn't know that about rabbits I knew the mating they are to ovulat but to help it well nope I will have to try I put the doe in with the male and let them bredd 3 times and never leave them I had a buck that was tearing up the females well trying to I put one female in and had to do something and forgot all about them I went out and she had blooded his noce they didn't have anything else wrong I now no matter will not leave the rabbits and if I don't have time I don't breed them. I had to dispatch the male he was no use to me if he was just going to attack the females. I have some a few time that will not breed two 3 times I try I figure they may not want to so every 3 or 4 day every 2 days or every day I try if they don't breed that they are dispatched. when we begain we had what was told to be snub nose later we found to be Califonias I had a san juan (I think you spell it that way) I had a rex on one time she would had 10 ro 8 a time all would survive. we use to breed in winter but this was the begining of haing bunnies but we don't any more and haven't for years winter were to cold a lost litters we had hay in the back and the box was covered all the way around but a hole for the bunny to go in and out of but I don't know so we decided to not breed and let them rest.

My bunnies are pets even if we are to eat them they are not treated any differently even if a food source, If I have a baby that is not doing good I try to get it to thrive BOY no luck but I recently heard to use goats milk and learned this can be used for nearly any animal I have not had to care for a baby rabbit yet since I learned this. I have all is need to care for baby animals my for tay is dogs canine. but I know more of how to treat wounds and infections. don't matter where it is. I only have one doe and one buck the doe is related to the buck it is his daughter the mother was a hit and miss she would breed then not and I got tired of trying the daughter will breed anytime the buck will breed with anything if I put a chicken in I think he woud breed with it Do you keep your rabbits outside or in some kind of buidling, my rabbita are outside all the time,

I will have to get some stuff for my doe and see if it will help maybe by spring I will have bigger litters (kindles) and we will have more to eat. Have you ever got attached to any> I had a Flenish Giant penelope she was old and could not breed any more I gave her to my son but told him if she can not breed then she will not live any longer this is the deal my son lived in PA and we are in NC if it was he lived with us we wouldn't of did the deed but we bred her 3 times and all she had to have is one baby but she couldn't that was one of the hardest things to do but see if my son lived with us it would not of took place. she was about 20 lbs and 5 lbs of fat I later read that afet rabbit is hard to breed so this could of been it or she could of just was done. I had another one a cinchilla I thinm she crecked her head on the cage I am not sure how it happened but I had her inside for 3 months she was not able to feed or drink unless I had it right under her mouth but she slowing was able to she was on her side and wasn't able to move but slowly she regained to sit up I had her in a childs play pen so not to hurt herself more I cleaned her 2 or 3 times a day or more she has the runs from the food being soft I slowing got it more stiff and then pellets and shewas able to walk around not perfect but enough she was put back in her cage she had to learn where her food and water was which she did but breeding well she didn't have a clue. she had fractured he skull you could feel it she was pregnant when I got her and lost all the babies they were not ready to be born. when this happened I had her for about a year in a half one day I brought her out to seehow she was doing the cage she hops around ok but my husband was saying if she is no better then..... so I got her out she had not been getting any further adn this day was the day to see if she was to get better but it was as before the did a tumblesault and fell over on herside and she was not getting better I felt she was as far as she could go.
She was dispatched and I oipened up her head I have seen many animals brains and I could tell if they was something wrong here in her head the bran was WHITE you could tell the white from the rest of the brian we think the white spots we say was where the brain had died (not active) and it was damaged and she was about as far as she could get so I feel I did the right thing I gave her as much time as I could, it was not fair to keep her alive if she was not going to get better.


Rhayden

 

[Celie]

no you didn't discourage me I just fond oout a turkey is not to be with me you just may n=me relize I was not able to care for one right, I want my animals happy, and reading all you wrote I don't have what they need in room and of course nieghbors and in turkey season around here I am sure if the turkey roamed he would be shot if female it is against the law to show WILD turkey hens BUT if they knew it was mine I am sure they would shot her if on their land. I live on a road that we all are related nearly I think 3 of use are not and there is not. and we all know each other and know who the pain is to.

Nope didn't know that about rabbits I knew the mating they are to ovulat but to help it well nope I will have to try I put the doe in with the male and let them bredd 3 times and never leave them I had a buck that was tearing up the females well trying to I put one female in and had to do something and forgot all about them I went out and she had blooded his noce they didn't have anything else wrong I now no matter will not leave the rabbits and if I don't have time I don't breed them. I had to dispatch the male he was no use to me if he was just going to attack the females. I have some a few time that will not breed two 3 times I try I figure they may not want to so every 3 or 4 day every 2 days or every day I try if they don't breed that they are dispatched. when we begain we had what was told to be snub nose later we found to be Califonias I had a san juan (I think you spell it that way) I had a rex on one time she would had 10 ro 8 a time all would survive. we use to breed in winter but this was the begining of haing bunnies but we don't any more and haven't for years winter were to cold a lost litters we had hay in the back and the box was covered all the way around but a hole for the bunny to go in and out of but I don't know so we decided to not breed and let them rest.

My bunnies are pets even if we are to eat them they are not treated any differently even if a food source, If I have a baby that is not doing good I try to get it to thrive BOY no luck but I recently heard to use goats milk and learned this can be used for nearly any animal I have not had to care for a baby rabbit yet since I learned this. I have all is need to care for baby animals my for tay is dogs canine. but I know more of how to treat wounds and infections. don't matter where it is. I only have one doe and one buck the doe is related to the buck it is his daughter the mother was a hit and miss she would breed then not and I got tired of trying the daughter will breed anytime the buck will breed with anything if I put a chicken in I think he woud breed with it Do you keep your rabbits outside or in some kind of buidling, my rabbita are outside all the time,

I will have to get some stuff for my doe and see if it will help maybe by spring I will have bigger litters (kindles) and we will have more to eat. Have you ever got attached to any> I had a Flenish Giant penelope she was old and could not breed any more I gave her to my son but told him if she can not breed then she will not live any longer this is the deal my son lived in PA and we are in NC if it was he lived with us we wouldn't of did the deed but we bred her 3 times and all she had to have is one baby but she couldn't that was one of the hardest things to do but see if my son lived with us it would not of took place. she was about 20 lbs and 5 lbs of fat I later read that afet rabbit is hard to breed so this could of been it or she could of just was done. I had another one a cinchilla I thinm she crecked her head on the cage I am not sure how it happened but I had her inside for 3 months she was not able to feed or drink unless I had it right under her mouth but she slowing was able to she was on her side and wasn't able to move but slowly she regained to sit up I had her in a childs play pen so not to hurt herself more I cleaned her 2 or 3 times a day or more she has the runs from the food being soft I slowing got it more stiff and then pellets and shewas able to walk around not perfect but enough she was put back in her cage she had to learn where her food and water was which she did but breeding well she didn't have a clue. she had fractured he skull you could feel it she was pregnant when I got her and lost all the babies they were not ready to be born. when this happened I had her for about a year in a half one day I brought her out to seehow she was doing the cage she hops around ok but my husband was saying if she is no better then..... so I got her out she had not been getting any further adn this day was the day to see if she was to get better but it was as before the did a tumblesault and fell over on herside and she was not getting better I felt she was as far as she could go.
She was dispatched and I oipened up her head I have seen many animals brains and I could tell if they was something wrong here in her head the bran was WHITE you could tell the white from the rest of the brian we think the white spots we say was where the brain had died (not active) and it was damaged and she was about as far as she could get so I feel I did the right thing I gave her as much time as I could, it was not fair to keep her alive if she was not going to get better.


Rhayden

I am not formiliar with many breeds, but I have seen the breeds you mention. I only breed Mini Rexes for pets for the grandkids and and other peoples kids, but I breed New Zealand Whites for meat. I keep my rabbits in all wire cages in a barn, and I live in Southeast Louisiana. Here is a picture of my rabbits cages: