Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[TillyPeeps]

The best Christmas gifts (okay, realistic and tangible) I could get were delivered last week. The eggs that were delivered with the birds were thoroughly checked out by Duckling. You know what she said after we discussed colors, shades and sizes? “We need to incubate them!”
“No, honey.”
“We should candle them to see if they have chicks inside.”

That kid knows it better than you! I think you'll get chicks before me.

 

[BullChick]

If she wants incubator eggs let me know... no problem to collect a few dozen of various breed combos. We just set some yesterday for current broodies.

No! She is the reason I did the last hatch. I told her the next hatch will be a broody or at least not until the summer. I’m actually debating offering the current mutt chicks (whom are getting brown chests) as a starter flock.

 

[BullChick]

That kid knows it better than you! I think you'll get chicks before me.

I don’t think you’re going to wait as long as you think you are.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

My youngest doing homework amongst her menagerie this September..

 

[OneMountainAcres]

View attachment 1987005 My youngest doing homework amongst her menagerie this September..

Lol, looks like my daughter Katelyn usually takes a blanket out and lays in the grass with everyone but she gets so mad when the geese decide to walk all over it and poop on it lol

 

[HeartoftheMatterFarm]

So I am thinking of getting some turkeys in 2020. Never raised turkeys. So I am asking anyone that has or does raise turkeys for some info. I would like ones that if I don't get them all butchered and there is male and female they could bred and I could hatch out turkeys. What would be the best bred for that? And is it safe to let the turkeys with the chickens and ducks? And is it safe to let them free range?

 

[BullChick]

When I was choosing a breed, I went with the Bourbon Red. Good ratio of dark and white meat, sweet temperament, and they go broody.
Check to see if you have Black Head in your area. Otherwise, they can mingle with the chickens and others. Yes, they can free range.

 

[fisherlady]

View attachment 1987005 My youngest doing homework amongst her menagerie this September..

Precious memories there, glad you got the picture for her to look back on later and hopefully show her own kids.
I did the same, for me it was horses, dogs and cats... but unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to have the pictures, but the memories are still vivid.

 

[HeartoftheMatterFarm]

How would I find out if black head is a problem in my area?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

So I am thinking of getting some turkeys in 2020. Never raised turkeys. So I am asking anyone that has or does raise turkeys for some info. I would like ones that if I don't get them all butchered and there is male and female they could bred and I could hatch out turkeys. What would be the best bred for that? And is it safe to let the turkeys with the chickens and ducks? And is it safe to let them free range?

You definitely want to go with a heritage breed, not broad breasted since they can't safely or successfully breed. Heritage turkeys are all the same "breed", just different color varieties so pick a color you like and go with it. Yes they can free range but they tend to wander pretty far. They may need trained to coop up at night as they often prefer to fly up in to the trees. I forget who you need to contact to find out about blackhead but if it's not in your area, they will be fine to mingle with the rest of the flock as long as you have enough turkey hens to satisfy whatever toms you have. Without enough hens, a Tom could decide to try to breed a chicken hen instead and most times, it ends very badly for the hen.