is it worth it?

[aussieheelr]

Ok found someone with burbon reds selling eggs for $4 each... I don't have the goose/turkey egg trays for my bator though.
Are turkey eggs hard to hatch, would be just be better off buying the chicks straight run from the feed store for $11 or what?
DH and I are really wanting turkeys to raise for turkey day and keep a pair around for breeding our own stock so hopefully we'd only have to buy chicks the first year.
What do all the turkey experts thing on the best way to go for it?

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

4 dollars per egg is pricey. Try to get him down to 2.50

 

[turkey guru]

I get 35 a doz, on turkey eggs, no refund, or 10 bucks a poult ,1 wk old, 48hr live policy, if it dies in two days I will give you another one!!!!and yes in the egg world they are hard to hatch! on this farm we produce poults, I collect the eggs every day! I store them at 55% in a turner point down! for not more than 7 days!! then I put them in the incubator at 99.1/2% 60% humdity----- cook for 25 days-------move them to hatcher, on there side, stop turning, more air more humdity for 3 more days then I put them in a brooder for 8/10 weeks at 90%F feed them 27% + all the greens they will eat, grass, lettuce,clover,ect. should have 80 or 90 poults on the ground this time next month

 

[Struttn1]

Quote:
I have hatched dozens of turkey eggs for years using the standard chicken egg trays in my turner with no problem. I would avoid eggs that have to be shipped and yes you are much better off to buy live poults from a feed/farm store or even shipped from a hatchery than ordering eggs that have to shipped and put through the rough handling by the USPS. Now if you can pick the eggs up then by all means go for the hatch but otherwise you are going to find you will have invested well more than $11 per poult even if you are able to get any shipped eggs to hatch.

 

[Blisschick]

I've done both eggs plenty of times in my little styrofoam Hovabator incubator. They're no harder than chicken eggs, really, you just have to keep them in a week longer. Mine has a fan and a turner, so all I basically have to do is keep a check on the humidity and temperature. I also buy poults from other breeders, mainly for genetic health within my flock.

 

[turkey guru]

when I first started (hatching turkey eggs )10 years a go I used the white foam incubators 3 of them for 3 years never got any better than 60% hatch rate and had a few leg problems! switched to the large incubators 600 eggers, hatch rate climbed to 85/90% no leg problems. they hold the heat , when your have to get in it, candling them ,ect! if you don't feed right,tom to hen ratio is not right, new blood every 3 years ( replace tom) all will affect the hatching % over 7,500 poults hatched/over 20,000 eggs layed 700 poults order this year so far about 600 to go!!! the farms name is TURKEY CITY and I'am the turkey guru tom!!! sat afternoon I am giving a talk on turkeys at the ag center for 8 bucks a head, 1,100 prepaid I get half! (4hrs) plus poults sales! tom!! that will pay the feed bill for 6 months!!!!

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
The true turkey guru was Steve untill he got banned

 

[longranger]

Tom!!! please smooth out your edges. I am truly enjoying your input but some of your comments have come off arrogant and rude to some. No need for that. We should all be friends here. This forum needs experienced breeders like you to educate newbies like me.

Also grab a young relative or neighbor to get you up to speed with photos on the internet. A $100 point and shoot digital camera and a couple of 15 minute sessions will have you up and running. Pictures help so much.

Sory for the partial thread jack.

 

[Frosty]

As somebody who is technologically challenged

might I also add that if you can get up to speed on the pictures thing, it could also increase your sales even more. The next step could be your own web site to show off those lovely turkeys and your whole set-up.

 

[ntiveheart]

Quote:
i was mia for a few months. why did steve get banned??? he helped me immeasurably several times!