Hi all!
This is my first year with turkeys and just like when I started out with chickens 2 years ago, this forum has been a wealth of information!
Unfortunately, I had a rough start with my 10 bourbon reds. They all shipped well and were doing great (including the 7 male chicks the hatchery threw into the shipping box as "packing peanuts") - until my brooder light gave out in the middle of a cold night during their first week and 8 little ones died of cold exposure. The 2 survivors looked like they would not make it, but like a miracle they came out of their coma and recovered at lightning speed! I learned my lesson the hard way and from now on, will always have a back up heat lamp going!
Now, at 7 weeks, the two turkeys are doing well, growing up to look like - real turkeys! One was strutting at 4 weeks and he gobbled the other day. He is getting his first caruncles on the neck and the snood is becoming slightly longer. The other is smaller on thinner legs and looks like she could be a girl! "She" is super friendly and literally comes flying to sit on my arm. Turkey boy on the other hand is much more aloof and freaks out when I try to pick him up. I suppose a healthy respect might be a good thing for a tom?
Here are my questions:
I'm about to run out on the Turkey starter and am wondering what type of feed comes next?
I have been raising the turkeys and little roosters together. The hatchery said that I should separate them at 8 weeks. Why would they suggest that? They seem to be getting along fine?
With just a pair, do I need to worry that the tom will eventually overmate his only girl, just like a rooster would? Should I look for another female? (I have been super cautious with adding birds from other flocks to avoid the influx of diseases and parasites.)
And last but not least, can I expect hatchable eggs next year during their first reproductive cycle?
Thanks in advance for your responses!
This is my first year with turkeys and just like when I started out with chickens 2 years ago, this forum has been a wealth of information!
Unfortunately, I had a rough start with my 10 bourbon reds. They all shipped well and were doing great (including the 7 male chicks the hatchery threw into the shipping box as "packing peanuts") - until my brooder light gave out in the middle of a cold night during their first week and 8 little ones died of cold exposure. The 2 survivors looked like they would not make it, but like a miracle they came out of their coma and recovered at lightning speed! I learned my lesson the hard way and from now on, will always have a back up heat lamp going!
Now, at 7 weeks, the two turkeys are doing well, growing up to look like - real turkeys! One was strutting at 4 weeks and he gobbled the other day. He is getting his first caruncles on the neck and the snood is becoming slightly longer. The other is smaller on thinner legs and looks like she could be a girl! "She" is super friendly and literally comes flying to sit on my arm. Turkey boy on the other hand is much more aloof and freaks out when I try to pick him up. I suppose a healthy respect might be a good thing for a tom?
Here are my questions:
I'm about to run out on the Turkey starter and am wondering what type of feed comes next?
I have been raising the turkeys and little roosters together. The hatchery said that I should separate them at 8 weeks. Why would they suggest that? They seem to be getting along fine?
With just a pair, do I need to worry that the tom will eventually overmate his only girl, just like a rooster would? Should I look for another female? (I have been super cautious with adding birds from other flocks to avoid the influx of diseases and parasites.)
And last but not least, can I expect hatchable eggs next year during their first reproductive cycle?
Thanks in advance for your responses!
