New arrivals coming....have more questions!

[4H kids and mom]

I am going to the feed store on Wednesday to pick what I want from their Hatchery Surprise. The feed store lady is pretty 'tight' with one of the ladies at the hatchery they use, so she got some inside info on whats comin.

She is getting Rouens, and several kinds of geese, as well as some chicks and poults. Now, Lord knows I dont need anymore chickens! But I AM getting a couple Rouens and some geese. I'm already set up for them, as they can go in with the week and half old Pekins I have now. What I'm curious about are the poults.

My kids really want a "gobble" but I hear they are so hard to care for and can litterally drop dead at any time from just about anything, and also that they are incredibly, well, stupid. How much of this is true? Can a novice such as myself raise a few without problem, or will it just lead to inevitable heartache? Can they range with the ducks, geese, goats and chickens? Are they smart enough to head for the coop if danger arrises, or will they just stand there in pouring rain, or during a predator attack? (I have YET to have anything come in the yard during daylight hours...just the one hawk that Ruthie, the guard kitty, killed.)

I guess I am just wanting to hear from others on here that have them, and about their sucesses and failures so I can see if its something we could handle or not. (We are learning by trial and error that with guineas, they do better the LESS you handle them. The 2 that were 'tame' and came to us to be picked up ended up dieing...so now we leave them alone and they are doing great! Go figure!)

 

[ncflowerpower]

We've had turkeys for years and yes they can be stupid. The young take about 2 years to 'grow up', but the adults seemed to take care of themselves. We have one male and one hen, she will set on her eggs and hatch them, but then something always gets them so they don't grow up. I took some eggs this time from her nest and they hatched the very next day in the incubator

So we now are raising 4 babies. They are big and clumsy and I find it hard to believe they could make it in the outside world. We plan on caging the babies for a long time so they will have the chance to grow up. They will go from brooder to rabbit hutch to chicken pen and then eventually be let out to roam the yard.

We had one hen that stayed out in the rain and eventually died, I would say from a cold or just being in the rain for days at a time.

We let our turkeys roam free, they are so pretty. They come to feed with the chickens and hang out in the yard.

We also received a grown gobbler that was mean. I would highly recommend raising your turkeys from babies so that they are friendly.

Donna
(4 turkeys in the brooder, 11 chicks in the rabbit hutch, 1 mom with 3 chicks, and 35 adults)

 

[Motherhenandflock]

Hee hee, you may Need to get a chick or two to help the poults learn where the food and water is. Really! Or you can put marbles in the feeder and waterer, that attracts them.
We've raised out 3 Broad-Breasted whites that got so big, I literally had to make them move to the feeder or I think they would have just sat there. Think Jabba the Hut.
Now we have 2 Bourbon Reds that have been with the chicks. They are pets at 5 weeks. They sit on my legs and crawl into my lap. So since they became pets, I had to get 3 more for the table. This time the BB whites again. I don't get so attached to them. But they are awful cute. They have the most plaintive "peep, peep, peep, peep, peep!"
You really aren't supposed to have chickens and turkeys together. There is "Blackhead" the turks can pick up from chicken droppings. It is almost always fatal if they get it. I am taking my chances until I get another safe place made.
Have fun at the feed store!

 

[justusnak]

4H mom

I swear woman...you are hooked BAD!! LOL. Almost as bad as I am. Our poor DH must be thinking we are crazy. I know mine is. I am going Sunday to meet with another BYC member, to trade ducks and frizzles for a few turks and Marans I think. I think hers are about 11 weeks old. I was wondering if at this age, we will be able to tell the toms from the hens? Any advise out there!?
Enjoy your new coop members!! with 4 coops and runs here....adding another.. LOL

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I think you are right justusnak. If she misses one day at the feedstore she's gonna go thru withdraws bad!!

 

[CarriBrown]

4-H Mom- YOU, my friend, are nuts!

It wasn't too long ago that (if I remember correctly) you were getting your first batch of babies (the beginning of ChickenDuck!)!!
Now look at you! You're hooked more than the rest of us!

You're a regular expert now!

 

[4H kids and mom]

lol guys!

I'm not THAT hooked! Geeze, I only have 30 pullets and 3 roos, and 4 ducks, and 8 guineas, and 23 Cornish, the 2 goats, and then the dog, 2 cats, 2 birds, a hamster, and a gerbil. Golly, you act like I have close to 50 animals running around all day in my backyard, or something!

Oh wait. I do have close to 50 animals running around in my backyard all day!

I guess I am hooked! But I'm lovin it!

Now I got the Organic garden thing going and I have squash, cucumbers, big tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, green onions, pumpkin, watermelon, sweet corn, garden beans, pea pod peas, chic peas, and lettuce all comin up so nicely. Mmmm. With the Cornish, and layers almost ready, and the garden, by late summer we are going to be having AWESOME dinners! lol

Plus, I'm not looking to get alot more critters. Geez. I just want a few more ducks, and a few geese, and maybe a few turkeys, and then maybe another goat or two....oh, and the kids want a couple rabbits (for show and meat).....oh and then I need a breeding pair of some fancier chickens...maybe a couple more of the Marans too....oo! and I've been giving some thought to some kind of game bird like pheasants, or quail too.....

Ok, yea. I'm hooked. I need a farm and some more land!

 

[justusnak]

4H.......you DEFINATELY need more land....then more animals to run on it...then DH will need a second job to pay for it all! LOLLOL!!! What started out at " I only want 6 or 7 chickens for eggs" ( for us) is well over 50 now, and adding more! LOL Ohhhh what a sweeet addiction it is!