I am now proud TURKEY Mama!

[Mycookoonest]

Why is it that most of my hatches happen in the middle of the night? Anyway... they were not due until tomorrow... well Stealth came last night. Went to bed without a peep or pip... DH woke up at 3 to peeping but was confused as there wasn't a pip and the eggs still had a little while to go. Got up at 5:30 and Stealth was out and about! Hence the name stealth!

He is a cross between a pencilled palm and a bronze (I think)

I am so EXCITED but now what... I am getting used to my chickens but TURKEYS??? What do I need to know to make sure I am a good turkey Mama?

I know I have to be super careful the first 10 weeks or so.

Oh he's so cute I can't wait to go home and see him all fluffed out!

 

[chickenchickenbulkbulk]

I have been raising turkeys for a couple of years. They are not hard to raise. The best advice I can give you is not to give them corn or cracked corn to early. Keep them on turkey starter for at least 3-4 months then gradually introduce them to corn. My aunt switched them to early and she lost some. I had people laugh at me because they thought I was carrying the turkey starter a bit to far. But, I didn't loose any of them. Now I am a proud momma of 10 Gobblers!! Yes, 10 GOBBLERS!!!! Good luck and enjoy.

 

[sandspoultry]

We start ours on 28% medicated game bird starter for the first 8 weeks-ish (depending on how they are growing) after that we go to a 20% medicated chick starter up to 4 months. We have various stages of brooder boxes as they grow from under a heat lamp to an unheated barn to a "maturnity pen" outside.

The trick with turkeys from the start is make sure they are all eating and drinking, watch them close for the first 2 weeks or so. We have had them doing fine and one will forget how to eat or get pushed away from the feed and it will slowly waste away. It's hard to get them to eat again if they go to far.

Ours don't see the outside until they are about 3 months old, maybe a little sooner this time of year since it is warmer and we are usually pressed for space. (we have about 200 now from a month to 4 months old). When you put them outside make sure they don't get wet or chilled and become a "poop inspector" watch for any sign of cocci.

The more time you spend with them the more friendly the will be, they will eat out of your hand and follow you around. just be prepared when the cute little poult turns into a 30 pound tom and wants to sit in your lap.

"everybody loves a turkey"
Steve in NC

 

[chrisf]

Congrats! If that is from one of my eggs, the mother is a Black Spanish and the father is either a Royal Palm or a Bronze. There are several BYC folks hatching out my eggs too! I gave out quite a few eggs while the hen was laying, then she stopped. She has started up again if you would like some more of them. Hope you get others too.....

 

[Mycookoonest]

Chris... HE'S BEAUTIFUL! I can't get over him. (OK well I have no idea what gender we're dealing with) I was going to take a pic and send it to you! The baby is still in the incubator waiting for the others to hatch now.

We were surprised he popped out so quick, we didn't expect anyone to even be making their way out until tonight into tomorrow...So he's all by himself!