Help - Can you identify this turkey breed?

[Goronson Chicks]

Hi Folks - We need help. We were recently adopted by this fellow, who we think was watching us from the woods for about 2 weeks before he decided to announce himself by walking around our house and looking in all the windows. I believe he saw me working with our free range rare breed chickens who are pets as well as egg layers.

He began coming when I called him, from out of the woods.

Then I started feeding him and now he's decided to stay.

Can you tell me what breed he is and what sort of housing we need to build? We don't kill anything.

He is a sweet boy.

Thank you,
Maureen

 

[memphis]

Wow! He's gorgeous! Looks like a Blue Slate. A Heritage breed. If you go to Porters Heritage Turkeys site you can learn more about the breed. Several of the folks here have Blues. I have a Blue hen that I actually found standing on the side of a busy 4 lane road during rush hour traffic. If you've never owned a turkey before, you'll love them. My Blue is now a lap turkey.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Thank you for responding. I did look and thought that's what he was. We raise chickens. I have no experience with turkeys and we are in Maine with a small hobby farm. There are coyotes behind our house so tonight after I put the chickens to bed, I shooed him into the pen and locked him in until tomorrow morning. I will let him out again, but he hangs around all day and wants so badly for me to talk with him and he seems to really want to be a part of our extended family.

When you have a moment, could you write to me about housing, bedding, vitamins and feed? Much appreciated if you could. In the spring I plan to buy him a girl. )
Best,
Maureen

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You can feed him either a game bird or an all flock ration, pellets is best they can have trouble swallowing crumble, he will need an area out of th elements to spend his nights, nothing too fancy, I use 2x4's for roosts with the 4 up, 3-6 foot off the ground. I like sand in my turkey shed, but shavings and straw will work. Mine like cracked corn and sunflower seeds, apples, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries and many other fruits and vegetables.

Turkeys like to follow you and see what you are doing, they enjoy talking with you too, I would make a run for him so he doesn't wander off from you too, he's really good looking.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Thank you for replying. What size run do I need if we decide to buy him a girl in the spring. Also, a flock of 12 wild turkeys were just in our yard so I haven't let him out of the chicken run yet because I'm worried abut disease. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Do you also raise chickens and, if so, how far separated do you keep your chickens from your turkeys?

Thank you,
Maureen

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Does your turkey really sit on your lap? That is so funny. Could you send pictures?

Maureen

 

[memphis]

Here is my lap turkey Daisy. She's so sweet. They do love attention! If you can, try spending time just sitting with him & offering him treats. That's what I did with Daisy. Next thing I knew I had a lap turkey!

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Oh, wow! So adorable. Thank you for sending me this. Priceless!
Maureen

 

[memphis]

Keep us posted on your progress with him. Do you have any idea where he came from?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for replying. What size run do I need if we decide to buy him a girl in the spring. Also, a flock of 12 wild turkeys were just in our yard so I haven't let him out of the chicken run yet because I'm worried abut disease. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Do you also raise chickens and, if so, how far separated do you keep your chickens from your turkeys?

Thank you,
Maureen

make your run as big as you can would be my advice, especially if they will not free range too much, I'm sure somewhere on this site has a recommended square footage.

My turkeys and chickens are in separate sheds, but free range on the same pasture, the turkeys, especially the young ones chase the chicken, as far as diseases the main concern is blackhead, and it seems either it's in your soil or it isn't, and the only way to find out is to keep turkeys.

We get occasional wild turkeys visiting out turkeys, I find it entertaining, though one year there was a Tom trying to fight mine through the fence.

Some photos of my run.