Heritage & Exhibition Turkey Thread

[ashandvine]

The housekeeping cart wasn't ready and waiting at Turkey hotel huh? She might have something bad to say on her comment card.

Walmart crates? We do have totes we tried but to no avail. I am actually hoping that in the barn basement where the old antique stairs are stored against the wall it creates a covered corner that is perfect for a broody momma turkey to hiss and hatch. I hope she will go in there because it is out of the way and much less scarey for my son than having her in the middle of the walk way or something similar. The ducks already claimed an interesting corner elsewhere so that narrows down the spots the turkeys can drive a stake.

I read that the turkeys in the wild don't really build a nest. Is there anything that others have found really help encourage them to nest? One person suggested an old tire. Apparently Mr Jim thinks fresh linen is good. Anything else? Will she come off the nest like the broody chickens do?

 

[Arielle]

The housekeeping cart wasn't ready and waiting at Turkey hotel huh? She might have something bad to say on her comment card.

Walmart crates? We do have totes we tried but to no avail. I am actually hoping that in the barn basement where the old antique stairs are stored against the wall it creates a covered corner that is perfect for a broody momma turkey to hiss and hatch. I hope she will go in there because it is out of the way and much less scarey for my son than having her in the middle of the walk way or something similar. The ducks already claimed an interesting corner elsewhere so that narrows down the spots the turkeys can drive a stake.

I read that the turkeys in the wild don't really build a nest. Is there anything that others have found really help encourage them to nest? One person suggested an old tire. Apparently Mr Jim thinks fresh linen is good. Anything else? Will she come off the nest like the broody chickens do?

I can only add a few pcs of data to this as I have not let my hens hatch their own eggs . . ..

I keep three BR hens with the old tom in a large coop. THe flooring is leaves and twigs, that I add to regularly. The hens preferred a corner with the feed buck that sits on a cider block at the third side. One nest for three girls. I did occasionally find an egg in another location, perhaps someone was taking too long! THe girls "nest" looked like a very rough nest, with a deeper impression in the cester, but never saw them building the way the hens do. THe hens seem to constantly fuss at the bedding , the turkey hens just sit still.

I'm leary of letting the girls free range as I may never find the nest and a coyote or fox would be happy to make a meal of her. THe wild hen that nested in our wood was raided and an egg landed in the middle of our driveway. THis is a clue that nest robbers are about. SHe stayed around most of the summer--just her.

 

[aguilera]

One of my turkeys ate cactus two days ago an now he wont eat at all. Do you think that maybe a thorn might have gottens stuck in him? What can I give him so that he might recover and start eating again? Thanx

 

[Haunted55]

One of my turkeys ate cactus two days ago an now he wont eat at all. Do you think that maybe a thorn might have gottens stuck in him? What can I give him so that he might recover and start eating again? Thanx

Maybe bread? I'm guessing here but someone told me to do it with my gander who swallowed something he shouldn't have and it worked. If there are spines in there, if you can get them down to the gut it will grind them up and they should just be absorbed. I would also make sure the cactus it got into isn't one that has toxins in it. There are a couple that have high alkalinity and they will burn. See what you've got first and then if it is one that is questionable, maybe some yogurt with the bread.

I hope someone who knows more than me chimes in here!!!

 

[ashandvine]

If you are going to use bread, which isn't a bad idea, oil it first. When chickens have issues like this olive oil given in a syringe is what we use.

 

[aguilera]

I bought some anibiotcs and some form of vitamins to inject him. I also hand fed him today. A while ago my only tom stoped eating as well and passed away. I just got this new tom about a month ago and he hoped over the fence where i have my dogs and ate some of my cactus plants and now he's sick as too. His droppings are yellow with green. I hope he gets better!

 

[IAFarmGirl]

The housekeeping cart wasn't ready and waiting at Turkey hotel huh? She might have something bad to say on her comment card.

Walmart crates? We do have totes we tried but to no avail. I am actually hoping that in the barn basement where the old antique stairs are stored against the wall it creates a covered corner that is perfect for a broody momma turkey to hiss and hatch. I hope she will go in there because it is out of the way and much less scarey for my son than having her in the middle of the walk way or something similar. The ducks already claimed an interesting corner elsewhere so that narrows down the spots the turkeys can drive a stake.

I read that the turkeys in the wild don't really build a nest. Is there anything that others have found really help encourage them to nest? One person suggested an old tire. Apparently Mr Jim thinks fresh linen is good. Anything else? Will she come off the nest like the broody chickens do?

ashandvine,

I live in Iowa and we have a lot of wild turkeys around us during nesting time. We have a lot of oak and hickory trees and lots and lots of gooseberry bushes. Those bushes have some pretty nasty thorns. The wild hens like to pick a spot close to a large old oak that is surrounded by those gooseberry bushes and they do build a nest of sorts. It is very shallow and is just enough to keep the eggs from rolling out. It is usually made of small twigs and lots of leaves. I have found several of these nests on our property. It seems like I usually find them just before a hatch which usually happens from the first of May to the middle of May and kind of depends on the weather we are having at the time. The hens do leave the nest at least for a little bit in the late afternoon. I am not sure about any other times of day that they might leave the nest so I suppose it is an individual kind of thing. I usually find the nests without a bird in the late afternoon. I never approach a nest with a bird on it as I don't want to scare her off.

 

[Haunted55]

I bought some anibiotcs and some form of vitamins to inject him. I also hand fed him today. A while ago my only tom stoped eating as well and passed away. I just got this new tom about a month ago and he hoped over the fence where i have my dogs and ate some of my cactus plants and now he's sick as too. His droppings are yellow with green. I hope he gets better!

Did you look up the cactus plant? I think you really do need to do that. You need to find out if there is something in that cactus or if this is just coincidence and there's something else going on here. Turkeys can be very delicate, silly as that sounds and this could be nothing or something that needs intervention with a course of action we may be missing. What are the symptoms besides the droppings being yellow and green? What color yellow? What are you feeding? There are a lot of variables here that could be causing, contributing to what's going on. Pictures if you're able would be good. Sometimes it's hard to 'see' without them.

Ashandvine's idea of the oil is fantastic! Something I never thought of but certainly will from now on!

 

[aguilera]

This is what I feed them.


other than him not eating he seems fine. He drinks water and walkes about just fine. I feed my turkeys in the morning and evening. He just looks at the food and keeps on walking by.

 

[elizmartin]

One of my turkeys ate cactus two days ago an now he wont eat at all. Do you think that maybe a thorn might have gottens stuck in him? What can I give him so that he might recover and start eating again? Thanx

If he is drinking water willingly, that is good....i would continue trying to give him the vits and healthy bread with oil, probiotics/yogurt to help with stomach flora.....if you have other poultry feed or cob/scratch or food scraps see if that interests him......if with other birds, does he follow them if you scatter feed? If you have other livestock and keep on hand *Red Cell or *Goat Nutra drench, i have diluted it in my poultry water for extra nutrients/iron on a limited basis. Drinking without eating is ok for a short while but will need calories to keep warm and survive. If you have other turkeys to check difference, does he feel warmer as if feverish????

Do you notice any difference in his neck that could be a swelling or if held and you gently touch his neck do you feel anything or is there a point where he reacts as if sore?

Is he where you can monitor his poop, color and amount without stressing him? Think that the Yellow coloration could be toxin related? So as long as he continues to drink maybe could flush out of system????

Just some thoughts.....