New Blue Slate Poults....

[Bleenie]

I just picked up 5 adorable little Blue Slate poults today..they're just about the cutest things i've ever seen!

We decided to get Turkeys just to keep as "pets" & yard ornaments. they will eventually have free run of the yard, but we're still not sure how many we will keep. I do have a few questions about them though...

The seller had 2 "self blue" poults also, will slate blue's produce self blues? they were adorable and that would be really neat to have some next year.

Someone told me that this breed was pretty laid back, they all seem to be so far except 1 little jumpy one(the darkest one). The color is really what i fell in love with but I do hope they keep their mellow temperments.

This will probably make me sound really dumb but.... Do turkeys use a nesting box?
I want to know what i will need to provide for them next year, we already have a large, empty coop they can live/nest in.

Are turkeys seasonal layers or do they lay year round?

thanks everyone, anything else you think i might need to know would be appreciated too!

(my cochin roo playing Brooder Daddy...a dog got him yesterday so hes stuck with the kids for now)

 

[Kansaseq]

Hi Bleenie,
Your babies are adorable!!
Blue and slate in turkeys works somewhat like BBS in chickens. Here is a run-down from Porter's site
"When breeding Slate to Slate, the results are turkeys of three different colors, Slate,Self Blue and Black.

When breeding Self Blue to Self Blue, only Self Blues result.

When breeding Self Blue to Black, only slates result.

When breeding Slate to Black both slates and blacks result, with no self blues.

When breeding Self Blue to Slate both Slates and Self Blues result, with no blacks.

When breeding Black to Black, just Blacks result.

In my breeding groups I use Self Blue toms on Slate hens which always result in Slate and Self Blue offspring only.

I purposely do this to avoid producing Blacks from this color."

Turkeys are seasonal layers, but I don't know if they will lay sporadically through the summer. From what I understand, it's pretty much a spring thing.

I've got 7 Slate turkeys in the bator due to hatch right now. Not sure how it's going to go since the turner got unplugged......... Wish me luck

 

[Bleenie]

Thanks a ton, that's really helpful! so if i do get blacks next year from these guys does that ean they are worth less because they're not as desireable for the breed?

Also, will turkys use a nesting box? if so what should the dimensions be?

lots of luck your way!! these guys are adorable

 

[Kansaseq]

I'm no expert, but I would think they might be less desirable to people who want to use them for breeding. For people who want to grow out a turkey for Thanksgiving, it probably wouldn't matter so much what color the bird was. Personally, I only plan to keep the slates and blues (that is, IF I get any to hatch this time). Not sure about nesting boxes. Did you try doing a search? I bet someone has asked that question before on here.

 

[Kansaseq]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=131775
Thread on nesting boxes

 

[PoultryPedia]

That is SOOOOOO sweet of your roo to brood the little ones

And they obviously think he's great!

 

[Tunastopper]

I use a large cat carrier for a next box. Its big enough and is washable. You do need to sucure it down so it does not flip over.

From the picture it looks like your turkeys look cold. Are they OK?

 

[Bleenie]

They were all sleeping, it was in the 90's here yesterday so all the babies were sleepy, lol. they're about the cutest sleeping babies every, like little narcoleptics

.

But no, they were'nt cold, very warm actually, the ducklings really love that roo too and are all over him or on him most the time. I think they might be sad when he gets moved back out to the pen after he feels a little better.

 

[BigRednRock]

they are so cute.

 

[jimmythechicken]

my daughter got 1 blue slate an loves it she has a few other turkeys palm an narr but little blue follows her every where an sits on her shoulder why she feeds an waters the other birds.he is even starting to grow on me he is 6 weeks old