Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

Your chances I would think are higher than mine, you have real soil down there most likely.  BUT I would ask the County Agent or Vets if they have seen any cases it the area.   I kind of have an if it happens "Oh well, I tired"   I would miss the turkeys but know I could not get more if it is in my soil.  Of course, my whole chicken things is  like that, it is a hobby, I would find another, and I am not going to lose my life savings over them.

I guess I just don't want to doom them from day 1 of I can help it.
My vision is to build a mobile roost and mobile feed/water station. Then surround that with electric netting fence. That way they will have lots of space to move about in the fencing and I can move the whole works around as needed for fresh ground.

The people in the Chicken Thistle Farms podcast I've been listening to use electric netting with their turkeys and said that as long as they don't put the roost or something near the edge, their turkeys all stayed inside it.

I would free range them if I didn't have to worry about the risk of blackhead from the chickens

 

[KlopKlop]

well, either that or a large mobile hoop house and electric netting. Haven't decided about leaving them unlocked at night.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am guessing the people on the podcast raise BB turkeys. My non-BB turkeys do not respect a fence. Those were the ones I showed on top the ladder. They like high places. They fly just for the fun of it. They will go 3/4 of the way up and oak tree because they can.

They will follow us wherever we go. If we step outside and they are at the far end of the property they come running to us. I have my doubts your fence would work.

You will not have to worry about turkeys running away, their favorite place to hang out is the deck and back steps.




BC that is something my Mother would say. "It's just a chicken". They just don't understand chickens that are egg and meat producers as pets too.

 

[scandiafowl]

That little odd silkie. Bless her.  has started laying for me again.  She had 2 weeks or so of broodiness.  Then she ran around for a week with the flock...last week. Yesterday and today I have two little cream colored eggs.  She's the only one laying.  Between the molt and 5 pm sunsets.  I can't get over her sometimes.  LOL.  When she's broody it's a bit of a pain as she locks up the favorite nest.  But I've learned to just deal with it and so have the other hens...just crowding in on her...is all.  LOL. 

I'm sorry I can't keep up with the turkey talk I have no knowledge to contribute other than I saw 8 wild ones ganged up in the In-laws yard a day ago.  they are neat.  MIL said they are hers and FIL's pets.  LOL.  Okay.  And she said they were pretty cheap to feed.   I shared that we lost Fleur and as someone who does not have chickens would say and as a MIL (albeit overall a pretty good one), "Well.  It's just a chicken." 

Yep just a chicken in which I've cared for by feeding it, collecting it's eggs, protected it with sturdy coop, washed it's butt when it was dirty.  Got up morning and night to let out or tuck in.  It's just a chicken.  With a value of God knows what.  And it's "ok" that it got picked off.  Sometimes people don't see the bigger picture.  I get what she meant...but she's obviously not looking at the whole picture.  Nor would anyone who doesn't have chickens probably.

Sad it is, such responses really miss the mark.
I've been reading some of Brene Brown's work. She writes about empathy and it reinforced to me that we, here, have that for each other when others roll their eyes.

Having written that... Losing chickens sucks.

 

[duluthralphie]

Having written that... Losing chickens sucks.

X2


Even though it was my doing, the flock does not look or seem the same today without my BBB. Which is why, when I think about it I have a lot of snood pulling and jockeying for position today... IS that possible?

 

[scandiafowl]

National Public Radio in DC rescued a street chicken that was trying to cross the road.

@nprchicken

 

[KlopKlop]

I am guessing the people on the podcast raise BB turkeys. My non-BB turkeys do not respect a fence. Those were the ones I showed on top the ladder. They like high places. They fly just for the fun of it. They will go 3/4 of the way up and oak tree because they can. 

They will follow us wherever we go. If we step outside and they are at the far end of the property they come running to us.  I have my doubts your fence would work. 

You will not have to worry about turkeys running away, their favorite place to hang out is the deck and back steps.

My intention is to raise BBBs. the folks in the pod cast raised midget whites and bourbon reds I think. I will have to go back and listen again if that is what was in the net fences or if they were BB turkeys

 

[Cluckies]

The last three days sure haven't been fun. Trouble with things at school again, and I am just tired.
...
I finally got rid of the last of the cull cockerels tonight. So, funny story...
Okay, it really wasn't funny and I was really, let's say, angry when it was happening.
Well, I hope that was enough reading for some of you. I gotta get to bed. I have a meeting with the principal in the morning.

Hugs to you. Hope your day today goes better. Good luck at the meeting.

Quote: Excellent news!

Minnie, your story goes to reinforce my thinking with regard to selling birds to anyone. They can die of old age or predation before I put up with idiots.
On a serious note, anyone wishing to start a novice in shooting a gun could be well advised to start them with a .22 caliber and low velocity short cartridges. No recoil and very little noise. I live in a suburban but mostly rural area and use the low velocity shorts to dispatch varmints. It does not make enough noise to disturb the walkers, joggers or cyclists.
My wife used long rifle cartridges to eliminate predators that are chasing her Shih Tzu's.

I agree, a 22 is wonderful to have around and it used to be incredibly cheap to shoot and have fun with. Nothing is cheap anymore to shoot, but it is still cheaper if you can find ammo.

Quote: x3. Well, I better decide what i'm up to on my vacation day. don't want to waste it. (not that you all are a waste!) But you kwim... Have a great day everyone!

 

[duluthralphie]

National Public Radio in DC rescued a street chicken that was trying to cross the road.

@nprchicken

Poor chicken would have been better off being hit by a car crossing the road, than be rescued by NPR...... (redneck in me talking)

 

[duluthralphie]

My intention is to raise BBBs. the folks in the pod cast raised midget whites and bourbon reds I think. I will have to go back and listen again if that is what was in the net fences or if they were BB turkeys

BBB would stay in after a couple weeks with no problem, they get to big too fast to fly.