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

[gryeyes]

Knew we could talk you into it Linda!

IRL, face to face, there would have been a bad word tossed your way, but used in that very loving fashion. "Witch!" (Sounds like........)

Yay!!! Pics!!!!

I haven't any to post because these will be my first turkeys!!!

Me too! Me too! I'm loving these photos!

So gorgeous!!!!

Absolutely! I guess I've only ever seen the wild turkeys (almost took out a huge turkey hen dashing across the highway the other day - boy did I swerve) and the masses of white turkeys in turkey farms shown on the Discovery Channel. I am amazed at the beauty of these different types of turkeys. Wow. Just wow.

SCG, you took the words right out of my mouth! I have no clue as to how to raise and keep turkeys! I guess I have about six week to learn! Do they prefer to be up on the highest roosts, like the chickens? Will they run the chickens and guineas off the best spots?

I am in the same boat. Somebody hand me a knowledge paddle, please???

Or how about someone rang your doorbell, then ran. When you opened the door, they had left poor abandoned, orphan eggs on your step, so . . . . . . you just had to take care of them, you couldn't just let them lay there and rot could you?

Oh, by the way, I just bought some turkey eggs on eBay, so I guess I'm in.

Now, what to hatch with them ????

Oh, did I forget to tell DH about that? You know, when you get old you tend to forget MINOR details.

My (odd) mind's eye sees a basket with some abandoned turkey eggs in it, swaddled in pine shavings, with a note attached: "Pleez take care of my babys becuz I can't - God bless!" So I pick up the basket and coo at the eggs as I bring them into the warmth of my house (and tuck them safely into an incubator).

 

[Cattitude]

Can I join for my brother, who will be setting his turkey and duck eggs around that time? He has a pair each of Black Spanish and Royal Palm turkeys, and one drake plus several Muscovy ducks. The Muscovies take about a week longer, iirc. I'm down to his place at least every few days, and can give progress reports. These are such lovely birds!

 

[dsqard]

IRL, face to face, there would have been a bad word tossed your way, but used in that very loving fashion. "Witch!" (Sounds like........)

Who me??????????????
I am in the same boat. Somebody hand me a knowledge paddle, please???

Linda and everyone else, please ask the questions you have that haven't been answered yet. I am no "expert" but there are quite a few doing this hatch that have a lot of experience. It is hard to think of what you don't know but would like to know.


My (odd) mind's eye sees a basket with some abandoned turkey eggs in it, swaddled in pine shavings, with a note attached: "Pleez take care of my babys becuz I can't - God bless!" So I pick up the basket and coo at the eggs as I bring them into the warmth of my house (and tuck them safely into an incubator).

I can so see this in my mind's eye as well! Just have to bring them in out of the cold!!!!

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
I wonder why my girls are not laying yet .. . .

 

[Arielle]

A picture of my last years poults. THis picture was taken to show the colors, I didn't know if it was all BR as the hen I bought had also been in with another tom. Grew up to be a gorgeous BR.

 

[ChooksChick]

I wonder why my girls are not laying yet .. . .

Maybe you're just enough of a different area and they are just enough younger...perhaps they need a huge protein boost? I give my pullets a protein boost when they are nearing point-of-lay and I'm impatient. Can of tuna is a fave, as is salmon.

I'm not sure about turkeys, of course...anyone?

 

[dsqard]

I would have to agree with you Renee. Turkeys need higher protien as it is and a protien boost may kick things into gear. My hen is only about a year old and she just started laying about three weeks ago. I started feeding a showbird boost to my whole flock about six weeks ago because egg production was way down. Now I am getting a lot of eggs from the chickens and a turkey egg about every day. Is it the boost, the warmer temps or the additional daylight? I couldn't say for sure but the protien boost can't hurt.

 

[yinepu]

my girls are laying about 10 eggs a day... we're going to butcher most of the turkeys this week.. so if I have any fresh eggs left by Easter I'll set a few more.. also have a few emu eggs due to hatch out May 5th (assuming they are any good.. lol)

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
THe consensus is: to increase the protein.

Is 22% high enough? I keep a full bucket in their coop of 22% turkey/gamebird feed. THey freerange for the day--last ones let out, first ones put away. And they have a bucket of water in their coop. They can steal feed from the chickens which is 15%layer.

Edit to add: could it be stress. I see the hens laying down, quiet and resting, while the old tom and his 4 sons parade around. I'm thinking the old tom and 3 hens should be separated and kept cooped up together.

 

[wolftracks]

Well I'm about to do a test hatch. I just picked up eggs from Lotsapaints that she left for me when she was out this way. I have turkeys and chickens

These will be my second try at turkeys. Last time I got zip, so I hope I do better this time.