January-February Poult Availability?

[cjvdub]

Does anyone know where I can get turkey poults early in 2011? I would like them in January if possible or early February. Variety isn't important, provided they are purebred. These would be for a 4-H project, all birds must be hatched after January 1, it is a very competitive fair, so the earlier the better.

I've checked with all the hatcheries I can think of and most don't carry turkeys until March at the earliest. Does anyone know any place that hatches and ships earlier?

Thanks you in advance for any help,

Corey

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I doubt you are going to find any poults that time of year. Hatching eggs maybe

Steve

 

[MovieFanz]

Finding a private breeder in your area is your best bet for early poults. But from my experience, early is not better. Early poults will need alot more TLC. When it is cold they do not develop as fast as the poults that are raised in season, when it is warmer. They are not as hardy either. Sick poults do not grow fast. A poult hatched in season will eat more too and often will be bigger.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I have never found that to be true, the first hatched poults are the ones we keep for breeding stock. Here we practice the "only the strong survive" method, failure to thrive or anything "off" is marked as a cull. Think about it in human terms - which kid would tend to be more healthy? A pampered easy living type (as in a poult hatched in warm weather) Or a country kid that gets cold, eats dirt and does just fine with what comes his way? If you are raising poults that get sick you need to llok at your methods.

Steve

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

There are several eBay listings for turkey hatching eggs. BYC currently has no listing for Turkey eggs. If you want early and good quality poults, just hatch your own. Need any advise, just ask. Someone will be able to offer plenty.

 

[MovieFanz]

Quote:
How does that work? Didn't you say you only let your turkeys raise your replacement poults because they are stronger then if you hatched them? How do you get them to get broody early in the year? Are your MW in the picture a year old. You said your MW start laying in December. Do you have hens sitting now?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

When a turkey hen gets enough eggs to sit then she sits, I have never been able to make a hen go broody. Can you?

Steve

 

[cjvdub]

I thank everyone for their ideas, but reading my own post i realized that it may have sounded like I was concerned only with heritage breeds. While I was interested in these breeds, I am also looking for the broad-breasted varieties. In my mind when i wrote it, I was considering them a pure breed. The show we are raising the birds for has meat bird classes (broad-breasted) and standard turkey classes.

Ideal's website says that last year they had BB White available starting January 10, when I called them recently, they said they weren't accepting orders on anything until late Jan. this year and didn't know when they'd be available. I figured if they had them sometimes, then maybe someone else would, too.

My brother showed turkeys about 10-12 years ago and I swear that I got poults (BB White & Bronze) in January that year. I can't for the life of me remember where we got them from.

I have no problem hatching eggs. I have white holland eggs incubating right now. They are a week or so along and are developing, so we'll see what happens there. I would be up for hatching others. Most of the Ebay ads I see now are for presales or for non-standard "heritage" varieties. As for the broad-breasted varieties, i don't think eggs are an option.

Thanks again and if anyone has any other ideas or sources for hatching eggs available in January, I'd love to hear them.

Corey

 

[Tunastopper]

Broad Breasted turkeys are a Hybrid turkey.

 

[sonew123]

I have midget white eggs up for auction right now

I was going to put them under my big fat broody cochin but then decided last night ( with DH's help LOL) I just dont have the grow out space for them right now if they all hatched-:-( They are pure midgets