Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LittleMissPurdy]

I am going with cockerel simply by the comb three weeks.

I am absolutely NO expert and not too familiar with this breed ....but I agree with MC on this.Because of the comb..and look at the legs on that little one...Hope we are wrong.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

X2

hey...didn't see ya there

 

[dheltzel]

you are awesome..you know that?!

...I just came into some burlap...been thinking who was going to "wrapped" for winter. We also collect leaves around the yard, mainly for the girls in the spring, helps keep the muddy yuck controlled, maybe I will use a bit to cover some plants this year. Tell you what, If I have anymore questions, I am definitely throwing them out here to be answered!

Very happy to help. It makes me feel like my college degree was not wasted, since my job is entirely unrelated to horticulture. I tell all my friends I'm happy to "consult" for free, just don't ask me to pick up a shovel. I do enough shoveling of other stuff and dirt is heavy . . .

 

[dheltzel]

So I approached my hubby tonight about the turkeys. After he was fed and happy of course

. I didn't get a direct no, and I think he kinda liked the idea of "midget" turkeys. How does this work? Do you keep a Tom and a couple hens (poults? What's the correct name for a female turkey?) Can you keep them with chickens? Perhaps just temporarily? Again, I will be keeping the birds in the carport, probably free ranging during the day. I think I should be able put some roosts on the carport also. These poor neighbors have no idea what's coming!

I can keep them for you until you are ready to house them. Ultimately, you want several hens with a tom, just like chickens. A single pair is ok, but a group seems happier (at least that's my excuse). Toms are not nearly as aggressive as roosters about mating, they display until the hen invites their attention, but they are heavy and their feet can damage the feathers on their backs, so spreading around the "attention" is a good thing.

Turkeys are usually more welcome than other noisy birds by the neighbors. Most find a tom gobbling to be rather charming. I could listen to them gobble all day,whereas 5 minutes with a flock of guineas is too much.

 

[dheltzel]

oh wow that is great! Not looking to trade in any of these wonderful chickens, was just wondering why one was different. Thanks for replying.

Let us know what you think of both those breeds. I have a sense of how they differ, but I welcome other's observations.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Yeah, the comb made me a little nervous, too.... I am in the city, not allowed to have roosters, so I'll have to find a new home for this one in a few weeks if I confirm it's a boy.

I got a pure Welsummer from Meyer last year that was supposed to be a pullet and turned out to be a roo--the only sexing error from them so far after many chicks. Seems like too much of a coincidence if this Wellie cross turns out to be a boy, too. I wonder if the line doesn't autosex as well as it should and they are going by that anyway instead of actually sexing the chicks.

I agree with the others, even with my limited knowledge. Sorry!

 
Well, Stake, you were right. I am missing a bird.
I wish I could say what happened. Rather how. The flock was locked up last night. Surely no one doubts that I would lock up the flock.
I had checked for an entry point, but I didn't look everywhere once I found the screen door torn open. I thought I had completely checked that side of the run though.
Another girl was found. She is pulled through. I had to of missed her body yesterday. First, she would have been able to get out last night.  She couldn't. Plus she would have had to have a reason. The teens are still relying on the ducks. I can't see her suddenly wanting to walk away alone.
I will stop trying to explain the inexplicable. But there is another oddity. There is a cockerel still alive. One boy, one girl. A girl is missing.

That's would backfire I think. He can't even handle a little chicken poo on his shoes... I'll try to start greasing the wheels and see how it goes from there.

omgosh Anne, you do have an uphill battle..

yes. You could use a quart jar for a tester. That is what it is made in. Pack your raw cabbage in the jar, make hole add salt and put boil water. Turn the ring on really tight. The ring stays on till you use it. You can even use glass mayo jars with their lids or any jars you save that have lids. Rings can get rusty somehow from the fermenting. I've never had a lid come off. I've never had any problems with it except for the time the lids were not turned really tight them it mold/spoiled on top. That's when it drove home point make sure real tight. Unless you want to speed up process you let rings a bit loose but I dont know how long cuz I never did that. I do it all in one easy step and my sauerkraut is started and canned in one easy step. I put it on the shelves right away. I put something under it in case if it decides to make a mess but I think the only time made a mess was when the lids weren't tight. Hope it works for you and you enjoy it's so easy that I never tried the complicated (to me) crock method.

thank you again for this info.!! I am going to be giving this method a try!! For sure!  

Part of the reasons to keep chickens is for the free organic fertilizer. I told hubby how sad I'm about losing my chickens. He said: Don't worry, they will bring some eggs to us, and we still can see the girls a few times every year. Me: But I will not get my fertilizer any more. Him: So you are actually sad about no more chicken poop?

..if you really want some poo, I can give you some...we seem to be in the same area..

I think I have won this battle, I timed my asking perfectly!

So I approached my hubby tonight about the turkeys. After he was fed and happy of course . I didn't get a direct no, and I think he kinda liked the idea of "midget" turkeys. How does this work? Do you keep a Tom and a couple hens (poults? What's the correct name for a female turkey?) Can you keep them with chickens? Perhaps just temporarily? Again, I will be keeping the birds in the carport, probably free ranging during the day. I think I should be able put some roosts on the carport also. These poor neighbors have no idea what's coming!

I can keep them for you until you are ready to house them. Ultimately, you want several hens with a tom, just like chickens. A single pair is ok, but a group seems happier (at least that's my excuse). Toms are not nearly as aggressive as roosters about mating, they display until the hen invites their attention, but they are heavy and their feet can damage the feathers on their backs, so spreading around the "attention" is a good thing.

Turkeys are usually more welcome than other noisy birds by the neighbors. Most find a tom gobbling to be rather charming. I could listen to them gobble all day,whereas 5 minutes with a flock of guineas is too much.

Sounds great! I should be able to take a few females and a Tom. I'll have to ask a friend to help me transport though! Are there any good beginner Turkey websites to go to for information so I don't have to drive everyone here wild?

 

[BullChick]

you are awesome..you know that?!

...I just came into some burlap...been thinking who was going to "wrapped" for winter. We also collect leaves around the yard, mainly for the girls in the spring, helps keep the muddy yuck controlled, maybe I will use a bit to cover some plants this year. Tell you what, If I have anymore questions, I am definitely throwing them out here to be answered!

ya want him back?

...

I have wanted to use him for my avatar for forever! He belongs to you though. And I like my coffee drinker. For the longest time it made people drink more coffee!

I agree with the others, even with my limited knowledge. Sorry!
I think I have won this battle, I timed my asking perfectly!
Sounds great! I should be able to take a few females and a Tom. I'll have to ask a friend to help me transport though! Are there any good beginner Turkey websites to go to for information so I don't have to drive everyone here wild?

You know darn well that we are here to answer questions.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Looks like we'll be butchering some extra boys today. I have 10 seperated and waiting. I always hate butchering day but it needs to be done. Most of them are legbars that didn't make the breeding cut so there's going to be some skinny cockerel soup. At least the flock will be a little calmer with fewer rambunctious boys in it. There's still probably 25 or so more extra boys that will need to be butchered but they still have another month or so, at least, to grow.

The rest of the flock is angry at the moment because I won't let them out to free range until we're done. It was quite a battle getting their food and water in to them without them getting out lol. I did let out the smallest ones to roam so they wouldn't get trampled and beat up being stuck in there.

In other news, we spent the weekend hanging out at the beach. It was so wonderful but a weekend was nowhere near long enough. Here's some pictures

 

[BullChick]

@1ADAM12 Hi! Welcome to BYC! Come and meet some other people in your area!

 

[BullChick]

Looks like we'll be butchering some extra boys today. I have 10 seperated and waiting. I always hate butchering day but it needs to be done. Most of them are legbars that didn't make the breeding cut so there's going to be some skinny cockerel soup. At least the flock will be a little calmer with fewer rambunctious boys in it. There's still probably 25 or so more extra boys that will need to be butchered but they still have another month or so, at least, to grow.

The rest of the flock is angry at the moment because I won't let them out to free range until we're done. It was quite a battle getting their food and water in to them without them getting out lol. I did let out the smallest ones to roam so they wouldn't get trampled and beat up being stuck in there.

Just think, fewer mouths to feed and at least you do get soup.
I got very happy about fifteen minutes ago. I forgot to get meat out of the freezer last night, and really want enchiladas. I grabbed some chicken, thinking I would just wait until tomorrow. Then I remembered that I had canned some chicken!