Hi Katy; I personally prefer turkeys to chickens, even though I have both. While still living in Montana, I had Blue Slates, Bourbon Reds, Royal Palms, Black Spanish, Midget Whites, BBW's and BBB's. Now, on smaller acreage and hot weather and high humidity that requires more careful husbandry, I have only Calico/Sweetgrass and Beltsville Small Whites.
I found that if you live in civilization (as opposed to the Back of Nowhere) it is quite helpful (if you have them on open pasture...as opposed to covered pens), to cut the flight feathers on one wing. I didn't at first and one morning they crawled out of bed at dawn, a couple flew up on the 6 foot chain link yard fence, hopped to the house roof, then up onto the TV antenna, spied the electrical wires leading to the pole outside the fence, and sparks flew in every direction. Nobody got fried, and I even had my electricity and TV reception intact, but we went immediately to the barn and took care of the problem with no further fireworks. They do get in trouble. Often. LOL.
Turkey eggs are supposed to be wonderful for baking.....fluff things up much more than chicken eggs....or so I've been told. Don't bake stuff much anymore. My oldest batch (this year's breeders) were hatched in May of 2009, started laying that fall, and still are. I wish they'd quit!!! Now they want to set and I have quite enough turkeys. The young ones, once you get them a couple of days old are very, very tough. Still get in trouble, but are tough.
After raising my turkeys and chickens together for 25 or so years, here in OK, where the humidity and heat are both off the scale, had my first case of Blackhead. Wormed and medicated them, spread a lot of barn lime where it was wettest out in front of the shed they sleep in (also put cayenne pepper in their feed), and for whatever reason, have had no recurrance. You'll know if you ever get it.....they're droopy, tend to go sit off by themselves, stop eating, and droppings are best described as "calf **** yellow".....and VERY runny. Not fun, but if you catch it early, quite curable.
Given a chance, they will follow you anywhere and everywhere. I love turkeys. Glad you do too. Old Bat.
