Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

to anyone who raises turkeys - What breeds do you raise and what do you like/dislike about them? I am planning to raise turkeys in the spring and am reading and reading and reading but I am curious to hear what you all think. I value your opinions more than most other self-righteous forum surfers around here.

 

[NikonD2xer]

There is nothing wrong with a dog having some harmless fun chicken bowling. My lab would do it on a regular basis. The chickens always got even at some point.
I never figured out who started the circle or revenge.

@KlopKlop it could be Buckeye, but it could be Rhode Island Red too. Mine have the black/green tail feathers.

Sorry @KlopKlop for not responding sooner to your post from 2 days ago. I have had a constant chronic headache for the last 5 years that can be best decribed as a brain freeze headache. That is on my best day, other days it is uncontrolable and I can't do much of anything.

I was not trying to talk you out of using emt, just stating what i had seen and trying tp pass on that information.


I lost a Rhode Island hen last night to some unknown cause. I think her sister blames me because now everytime i go into the coop, I get flogged by her.
She has been studying the rooster fighting style and she is good at it. Hopefully she settles down or I will have to build a Solitary Confinement Unit for her or bleed to death.
I am leaning toward my first option.

 

[Wild Child]

Theri, my family and I were talking and we would really like to add 2 last birds to the flock this year (aside from really wanting two more Silkie hens

). We would like a pair of Buckeys. I had seen in one your posts that you had some Buckeys; do you still have any available?
Thank you

 

[duluthralphie]

to anyone who raises turkeys - What breeds do you raise and what do you like/dislike about them? I am planning to raise turkeys in the spring and am reading and reading and reading but I am curious to hear what you all think. I value your opinions more than most other self-righteous forum surfers around here.

I started with rusty slates ( sold to me as blue slates) they were in such poor shape when I got them I could not tell what they were, Then I bought some blue slate poults. I kept the blues and the rusty separate during breeding to keep them "pure".

The rusty do not breed true so I have black, bronze, rusty, reddish ( they differ from the rusty, not sure what to call them) blues and self blues ( some call them lavenders.) Then I bought some BBB and BBW from Runnings this spring. I like them all.

It is like with my chickens I like them all too. I really do not think it matters which one you get. Turkeys are so different than chickens, but so alike too. If I had to have either chickens or Turkeys I would keep the turkeys. They have such personalities and are so much more pet like than chickens. I have no idea why, but my turkeys follow me everywhere and like to be vocal.

Turkeys have some guinea qualities , which make them fun to watch, but are not complete bat crap crazy like guineas. I know you way down south in the Minnesota Ozarks, but if you want to look at some or get some, I have lots to sell this year.

I understand your sentiments on the self righteous forum surfers. I started a turkey thread to get rid of some of that. It does not have a lot of posters on it, but they are kind of fun people, not as good as here but almost. Ask them some seem quite knowledgeable, others just like to drink.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/966414/a-century-of-turkey-talk-2000-2100/830


NikkonD my sympathies on the headaches. I have the same with knee and hip arthritis. Getting is so fun.....

When it comes to beautiful black feathers, I like my BA. Ernie, when he has a tail and it has not been pulled or broken off by the other roosters or turkey toms. The stupid toms and him go round and round all day long. They have 13 acres (plus thousands of acres of federal land they can sneak through) to wander and they need to be 3 feet from each other all day long so they can squabble!




CHICKEN BOWLING IS NEVER ALLOWED HERE>>>> But I love the name chicken bowling

 

[Wild Child]

Do Turkeys get along with chickens? I'm thinking about my "big homesteading expansion" for next year and have turkeys on my poultry possibility list.

 

[duluthralphie]

Do Turkeys get along with chickens? I'm thinking about my "big homesteading expansion" for next year and have turkeys on my poultry possibility list.

Mine get alone great. The only bird that does not seem to get along great is Guineas, but they hate themselves even. But even they do not cause much trouble, they are just good entertainment.

 

[KlopKlop]

*Insert assorted turkey talk here*

I think I'm leaning towards BBB and BBW since I've not done any breeding before. My first foray will be next spring with broilers.

Also because I wouldn't have to keep them over winter. We eat plenty of ground turkey so I was planning to raise them then when I process them to keep a few whole or in pieces and grind the rest

Do the BB varieties free range well? Or do they at least need a perimeter fence

 

[duluthralphie]

I think I'm leaning towards BBB and BBW since I've not done any breeding before. My first foray will be next spring with broilers.

Also because I wouldn't have to keep them over winter. We eat plenty of ground turkey so I was planning to raise them then when I process them to keep a few whole or in pieces and grind the rest

Do the BB varieties free range well? Or do they at least need a perimeter fence

I have the three BB only and they free range, BUT they are not gaining as fast as if I was feeding them gamebird grower. To me it is not a big thing. My BBW is a huge bird even with free ranging. He is 3/4 of the size of my 2 year old blue tom.

35 years ago I raised 3 BB turkeys Named them "thanksgiving" "Xmas" and "Easter".... I never counted on mother nature being a cruel ............... Anyways Easter drowned because BB turkeys are stupid... He only lived about 5 days. We raised them in the basement when they were young ( we had a walk out at the time so they did have to go through the main part of the house)..

I took them outside in there cardboard box, and tipped it on it's side so they could come and go from it as they wanted........ Well.... A little whirlwind came through the area and lifted the box about 10 feet in the air. I was on the deck watching and was afraid the turkeys were in the box. I was relieved to see they were not. The were outside eating and pecking through the grass...


Then the whirlwind stopped as fast as it started. The cardboard box came falling from the heavens and landed right on top of Xmas,,,,,, Thanksgiving made it until the end of November....

I had him trained to lay his head across a chopping block. it was a cute trick, but it made for a not so great thanksgiving as he had became more of a pet then I wanted him to be.

Moral of the story "count on unexpected losses and have enough turkeys that they do not become pets". I love my meat birds but I work hard at not getting too close to them.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Good morning my chicken nut friends. Cluckies your beautiful BO with her first egg--so precious.
KlopKlop keep working with the dogs and don't give up. The free ranging is so nice for the birds- and healthier IMHO. Sadie had a bowling incident yesterday. In which I yelled no. Then ran her down- I didn't call her to me. But she sat submissive immediately. And we had a "come to Jesus meeting" she's getting it but the puppy in her couldn't contain herself. Bowling not acceptable here either. I'm afraid if I give an inch, she'll take a foot. Do I let her outside potty unsupervised -- yes. And all 10 chickens are accounted for everyday. But consistency in my expectations are being kept. And every trip down to the coop is a lesson and reassurance that she's "a gooooood girl". Lots of praise, lots of redirection with looks, energy. She wants to please and I see it in her. She's so smart.

Turkey's..... I want.... Waaaah

 

[KlopKlop]

That is exactly where I am at too BC. When she does have a 'weak moment' usually just calling her on it makes her tuck tail because she knows better.

I honestly don't think she would viscously attack a chicken I think it would be more 'we were playing and now the chicken stopped playing with me'