First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter

[grasspack]

Hello,

I am in too....I have never hatched turkeys but am going to give it a try

 

[Noncentzter]

Oh sure, why not, I'm in. This will be my 2nd time hatching turkey eggs and I NEED EGGS!!

 

[dsqard]

I am soooooooooooo in!!!!! Poults are so adorable. I got Bourbon Red eggs from Lotsapaints last year and they all hatched and were very yummy. If someone is looking for that type you could try PM'ing her.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I would love to join but no Turkey eggs...yet! LOL I'm drooling over some Chocolate Turkey eggs that are for sell right now, but I do not really have anywhere to go with them! Ugh!! Any ideas on a good housing facility for turkeys that is cheap and easy?

~ Aspen

 

[Jessshan8]

Here are the picks of the hatcher I completed to hatch the eggs in my bator from the Easter hatch-along. They will go into lockdown in there. This will give me time to clean and disinfect my fridgebator for this hatch-along. thanks to Zookeeper15133 for the idea to build it.

 

[ChooksChick]

I can't join but I'll follow along..
I am a little ahead of you, here's what I have... I set 15 Midget white turkey eggs on March 11th, I just candled tonight day 16, and all are nice & solid with a good air cell, one is clear. So if all goes has planned April 6 thru 8th is my hatching window. I am using for the 1st time a Brinsea Oct20 with auto turner, and have been keeping my humdity in the 30 - 40% range only adding small amounts of water to keep it there..so sort of a dry incubation. Will post pictures once the midgets
start hatching !!!

Sounds to me as though you'll be able to set again!!!

Jessshan, that is a fabulous looking hatcher. I always wondered if one couldn't foil the bulbs to keep it from blinding the poor things at hatch?

 

[Lotsapaints]

I'm in I will have eggs too for those of you in need here is what I have:

Hi I have Bourbons and Midget Whites and Palms they are all laying and I have a "pretty" pen a mixed Tom who looks like a Blue Palm but is a Midget White x Narraganset in with Auburns and Midget Whites he isn't a year old yet and my hubby said he weighed 35 to 40 pounds he got to carry Pretty Boy down to his girls today. 20.00 for 6 plus shipping and I try to add an extra or more if I have them. My turkeys are really beginning to lay now so I'm getting 5 to 8 everyday and soon they'll all be laying I'm sure in time for the hatch. The Palms are for pretty pets though you can eat them - the others are bred for eating though they are quite the characters they love bread and are very good beggars.....

Turkeys fly right away maybe Midget Whites are not as bad as the other breeds I have make sure you keep them brooded for 12 weeks and have a covered place so they can't get out they are sorta delicate at first and hatching chicks to raise with them is the best! They are in charge from the start and will mother little chicks but then become tough terrorists mine boss the chickens but are not mean to them. Male poults will wrestle with one another to impress everybody and cause the neighbors to come and get me. I have heard of bad tussles mine just pull their snouds flap their wings and breathe hard and decide who is the boss really not as bad as a rooster just takes longer. My boys follow me around let me know when something has changed really a lot like a dog except I find people are scared of them at first (the UPS guy wouldn't get out of the truck) until they find out how friendly they really are. The local poultry inspector says they are great to keep with chickens as they make my chickens immune to Mareks. I know members of the local poultry club ask for droppings for this very reason. I don't have to worry about blackhead where I live that is something chickens have that will kill your turkeys just ask your local Ag extension they should know. I just love my turkeys I think they are so beautiful when they strut around and the colors they can turn well after you hatch some you'll find out they are like potato chips you just can't have only one.

 

[craz e laid e]

I have a couple of questions. I have 3 pheasant eggs I started on the 17th. They take 23 days, so won't hatch until after Easter. Would it hurt turkey eggs to be started at the higher humidity of lock down for a couple of days? Can turkeys be housed with chickens, or do they need their own separate pen? We have a lot of wild turkeys around. If they are free ranged, will they take off with the wild turkeys, or will the wild ones attack the domesticated ones? I obviously have never hatched turkeys, so any other helpful information is very welcome.

 

[mlm Mike]

Jesshan8, nice hatcher. You also have a nice incubator, any chance you could send me the plans ?

Chookschick - thanks for hosting the hatchathon !

Lotsapaints - Do we PM you for eggs or do you need to put it in the buy/trade/sell forum?

 

[Lotsapaints]

I didn't put it in there just on this board. I usually put my eggs on the 24 hr thread since there isn't a real auction thread anymore. Please PM me so I don't sell too many I want everyone to have the freshest eggs possible those farthest away get sent earlier than those close I know how long they take to get places unless they get miss sent or something....

As for incubating turkey eggs I have the best luck doing a dry hatch but higher humidity at first will not bother them just let it drop back down when the hatch is done. Turkeys need more room to turn in the egg anytime I let the humidity go over 55 or 60% at hatch they can get stuck I use a Turn X and just leave it at hatch around 45%. I'm using a sportsman this time and will try and hatch the same. Many times with turkeys I have forgotten to unplug the turner or change my humidity from 35% and they all hatch they are pretty tough.

I keep my turkeys penned that I use for breeding I have 4 that range around the barn they do not go far because they are my buddies maybe....since I can hatch out more I don't worry about them. I have a wild turkey girl hanging out with my breeders I'm sure she wants a man but they are covered pens with net and can't go anyplace. That wild one roosts about 30ft up if mine did that I could never catch them. I'm sure she hears my other ones close to the house but she is still too shy to come and visit maybe after a while she'll come closer this is the first time I've had a wild one so I have no idea what's going to happen. My turkeys like to eat I don't think they would do well if they left but the wild girl is getting tamer my husband thinks he can catch her but she flies really well there is probably some rule about not bothering wild ones IDK