First Bourbon Red Turkey eggs!

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'm so egg-cited! got my first bourbon red turkey eggs! (and 2 goose eggs too from 2 separate gals but thats for the waterfowl section)

i just love it when nature works! yay!

Harp if you are out there - my two hens are still fighting. we had supercold weather here today so they were in their coop all together for most of the day. the little one had blood all on her beak and looks like its injured or cracked in some way. she is in sick bay for a day or two because they started up fighting when i put them in for the nite (they were out for the afternoon). dont know if there is anything else to do - this weather should break tomorrow or the next day so unless you have a better idea i'm going to keep her separated until they can be in their outside run all day?? thanks in advance.

but i'm still thrilled with my eggs!

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

my two hens are still fighting. we had supercold weather here today so they were in their coop all together for most of the day

Well thats no good. How big is the coop that you are keeping them in?? Is there any way you can separate them with a wire fence between them so they can not hurt each other ?? How big is the feeder and waterer ?? They have enough roosting area ?? Some hens just will never tolerate each other, same as toms. We have a couple hens that never would get along when they where out ranging always fighting etc. I penned them up in the breeder pens together and have had no problems yet. I'm thinking their must be something to tight for them and they don't have enough space to get away from one another ??​

 

[kees]

Congratulations on your eggs!

Suzy

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

Thanks Harp!

Their nite coop is a little bigger than 8x8 with a 7 ft ceiling and their perch is about 7 ft long. I only have 3 hens and the tom in their right now (we had 4 BBW's until they came over for dinner). They free range a pretty large fenced area - maybe 1/2 of an acre? The feeder is a big tub - maybe 18x24 and now that its cold i just use a bucket to water them (easier to break the ice out of).

I like the idea of separating them inside with wire - I have part of a hog panel that might do the trick.

If it have to decide between the two hens (if someone needs to go) should I keep the aggressive one or the timid one? My goal is to raise a passel of poults so if the aggressive one just wants to fight she might find her next victim in the babies or the other hen... but if the timid one is not a desirable trait then maybe she should be my next dinner guest? we'd hate to loose either of them until they hatch a clutch...

thanks for your thoughts - always easier to get advice than to figure it out!