My first turkey EVER was the first BR hen, and she follows me all over the yard, BARKING at me!! What is that about? None of the others do that!
Okay, now this is interesting. I ended up with a pair of RP's, and barking is the word I've used to describe my hen too, but everyone else I've mentioned it to just looks at me blankly. It started when I let them out of the turkey pen for the first time to mingle with the chickens. She made a sound that sounded like she was congested. I thought she must have a cold, penned them back and administered Duramycin. While in the pen, I rarely heard it but every time I let her out, I'd start hearing this sound from her again. After awhile, figuring the Duramycin wasn't working, I wondered what to try next but in looking at her I realized it was not on the inhale I was hearing the sound. Instead it seemed like a deliberate effort on her part - kind of a cough, cough, bark, bark sound. I had a friend over the other day and asked what she thought, and she agreed it sounds like the hen is making the noise on purpose. She doesn't look ill, has no discharge, and it isn't on the inhale, so I finally decided to quit worrying about it.
Two days later I read this and hear you referring to your hen as barking too. So does my description sound like what you are hearing?
I like the personality of the Reds WAAAAAAYYY better than the Royal Palms, who hiss at me and act like I'm going to hurt them. I've raised them all the same, but the RP seem to be far dumber. The Reds are affectionate and follow me around. I'm surprised they're so different.
Oh, did you have to say that? My pair of RP's is my total experience with turkeys, and I'm enjoying them so much. I smile just looking out the window and seeing them out there, and when I'm there and hear the male gobble or see him display, I am so chuffed. But you're telling me other breeds are even better? I will say mine are not affectionate at all. They don't like to be handled but do follow me around (staying a couple feet from me), and interact with me pretty well since they know the routine. Although they are now fully integrated with my flock and sleep in the coop at night, they still like to return to their pen in the morning and evening to get some gamebird feed, and are really so easy. I open the door of the pen, they run in, I close it. When they're done eating, I open it again, they run out, I close it. So although I can't just walk up and pick them up, I find them pretty easy to deal with. I've never had them hiss at me - I didn't even know they made a hissing sound.
I've entertained thoughts of adding another breed of turkey next year and also plan to incubate some of my own turkey eggs in the spring, even if the hen is broody, since I figure the broody raised poults won't be easy to handle compared to brooder raised. What I think is going to be difficult is processing them to eat. I didn't plan on liking them so much.....
I would think you might have a hard time getting the BBB or BBW to breed? Not sure but I know it is an issue with the meat birds on the chicken side of the house. I do remember my dad saying that once you start getting over 20lbs on bird size you are getting a higher bone to meat ratio. This is not based on any data I have just what he told me and that is what I go by. Besides, I don't know if it was more because they were fresh or the type of bird but the BR's were much more flavorful than a store bought bird.
