**~~>>Second Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon<<~~**all poultry welcome!

[mlm Mike]

Ours are 100 % free range, they come into the barn to roost and don't get locked up. We haven't lost any to predators (knock on wood) and we are surrounded by woods, we only had that one raccoon attack last year but that was my fault, rookie mistake, I didn't have a door on the doghouse when she was broody, now I make sure they are secure and we haven't had an issue since. Of our 16 hens all but 1 are laying in the nesting areas I set up for them. They have 2 55 gallon drums on their side, a bench in the driveway with 2 tires in front of it, an old dog house, a couple of corners in the barn that are covered and a nest box with 3 compartments. I enticed them with golfballs or wooden eggs, it seems like 3 was the magic number. Only one bourbon red decided to make her nest in the blackberry brambles so hopefully she goes broody, there's no way I can get in there to get the eggs unless I do some serious trimming. At least she picked a good spot, so it seems.

I free range too. So far she has laid in the corner of the goat barn, behind a hay feeder, where some chickens have been laying.

 

[tazcat70]

I'm tripping over puppies. We have three 5 week old Chinese Crested puppies right now. They are bored with their whelping box now so I've set up a system of X-pens and baby gates in the kitchen. They hang out in the kitchen for most of the day and while I know they love the extra space to run around and explore they aren't too happy about the fact that their mama is an expert gate jumper/climber and needs breaks from them. I can relate, I need breaks from my DD too. lol.

I really enjoy having puppies around since they are so cute, it'll be bitter sweet when they go to their new homes.

You have to post pictures of them!

 

[HEChicken]

Oh, can it be...? I think I have a broody chicken! My first one. She has good timing for this hatchathon, but.... What do I stick under her? I have already blown my hatching egg budget for the month, really can't afford to extend it. As to the flock, I hadn't planned on collecting anytime soon since my duck-loving bantam Cochin is also a LF lover, too.

What to do, what to do... Hate to just leave her on the wooden dummies... Oh, if only all problems were this fun.

Oh, how fun - I love broodies! I set my turkey eggs under a broody! My turkey hen thought she was broody but when I tried to move her to a safe place to brood, she changed her mind. But I also have a broody duck, silkie, Aloha and silchin. The duck is a muscovy so able to cover a ton of eggs but was sitting on only 3 duck eggs so I gave her 13 turkey eggs on Sunday and she is happy as can be. She tucked them all under her carefully and has since mounded up straw around her - it looks like a lovely, cozy nest for the eggs. The duck eggs are due to hatch in about 2 1/2 weeks so I'll retrieve the turkey eggs prior to that and put them back in my incubator to finish the hatch.

Make sure to keep them under the brooder light and don't let them run around with the older chicks. I made that mistake with my first two and lost them both. They are still babies and not as likely to keep themselves at the right temp or sleep when they need it (like chicks do.) If I had younger chicks hatching, I think I would swap them out and keep the newest chicks in with the poults all the time.

Do poults do okay under EcoGlows or would it be better to have a brooder light for them?

Quote: My turkeys do free-range but they stick around with the chickens and my turkey hen goes back into the coop to lay her eggs. They also go into the coop to roost with the chickens at night, in spite of a hedgerow that borders one whole side of the chicken yard. It hasn't occurred to them that the trees would make good a good place to roost and I'm not about to suggest it to them. I built a hoop coop so that if/when she goes broody, I can put her in there to keep her safe from predators and to keep the other hens from laying in or bothering her nest. It will also be a safe place for the poults to be raised until they are ready to be let out with the flock.

 

[tazcat70]

Black white hairless girl, cream and white powder puff boy, slate hairless boy

The girl

The boys. Snuggling on a woman's breasts is apparently and ingrained behavior in cresteds because every one I've ever had wanted to do it. Lol

I should have waited...sooooo cute!

 

[cmfarm]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmfarm

It is nice to be joining in again in the Cinco de Mayo hatch again as last year was fun. When I set my eggs I didn't even realize it was so close to the hatch but am so glad that it is and I get to join. On Friday I set 41 dozen eggs that I collect on a long road trip that was 200 miles. Most are chicken eggs that will hatch a week before the hatch date of the 5th, but I did get the turkey eggs and guinea eggs that will hatch just a few days before. I really hope the turkey eggs hatch. Last year the eggs I got ended up not being fertile, but these are from a different person so i am hoping all goes well. I may also go pick up some more goose eggs today, but it depends on my schedule. I pretty much have all the turkeys pre-sold already, I have someone that wants 4-8 of them, just hope they hatch well. And today is my birthday.



Wow and I thought my incubator held a lot at 24 dozen!! What do you two do with all the chicks?

I sell them all.

 

[karimw]

I set 36 eggs by the light of the moon;
Cinco de Mayo can't come to soon!
In 28 days and with lots of good luck;
Hopefully I'll quadruple my flock!

 

[karimw]

Your eggs made it in perfect condition, Arielle, and my postal carrier even set the box upright on my porch so they had plenty of time to settle. Thanks!

 

[tazcat70]

Btw Jim (mrheinz77) is shipping me Welsummer eggs today!!!!

 

[Wisher1000]

Originally Posted by Wisher1000


I really shouldn't be giving advice on raising poults, I have never raised any that survived.

I was just trying to help others avoid making the same mistakes I did.

My two poults were very sweet and calm and it broke my heart that they died. I decided that I had let them run with the chicks too much and that they had not stayed warm enough. They followed the chicks everywhere and would lay down where ever the chicks were to sleep. They did not go back to the brooder light unless the chicks did. It was not cold, but they would sometimes lay on the ground in the covered run. They had feathers, but were still too young, I guess.

This time, I plan to leave mine in the brooder room, on shavings until they are at least three months old. I also read that they need much more sleep than chicks do. I will confine them where they cannot get too far from the brooder light for the first six to eight weeks. Hopefully, someone else will give us the rundown on best poult brooding practices.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote: I have a Chinese Crested/Terrier. She's a wonderful, albeit ugly, companion.




She wears a sweater most of the year, but we take it off when it hits 90* This is her next to our 30# cat.

Quote:
It's a method of sanding dark eggs for easier evaporation so the chicks aren't too big to hatch.

Quote:
I ended up with 34 dozen set. Some ~3 doz are due sooner and will likely quit due to the 112* heat spike day before Easter, but 382 were set for CdM...I'm barking mad.

Still in!!!! Didn't see myself on the list! Not sure of the exact count, but it should be around 40ish. Only chickens, although I did try to find 2 or 3 turkey eggs, but couldn't find anyone who wasn't charging shipping for 12+, so it's just chickens. Amazing chickens though!

I haven't updated the names...I'll get there eventually...but I'm in a heavy work zone right now, so I'm only jumping on for a minute or two at a time...If someone else who posted on page 1 wants to take this duty on, I can point post 1 to it.

Silly little duck laid two more eggs. Guess where they went when I didn't find any cracks? So that makes 4 duck eggs total. I swear I won't add any more.

Um, Raz, I think you MUST set all eggs laid this week so that you won't end up with a lonely only. It's your duty.

Does anyone dry hatch turkey eggs?

Me, ME!!!

I dry hatch nearly everything, even ducks and geese. I DON'T dry hatch quail, because they seem to have such thin shells that they desiccate too much.

OK OK OK Now your gonna love this

I just ordered 36 Wishard Bronze turkey eggs and they will be here Over night ,
IM HYPED Can someone tell me what the heck they will look like ?

I am assuming that they are regular bronze but the wishard is a breeder ? The guy was happy to help and since they are local VERY and know how we just got 4h back he was happy to help.
I did not ask for anything and he said OK he will send me extra but a warning his hatch rate is 90%

I am excited about this finally got my eggs for the kids and will get to do the project YEAH.

I'm so glad! I just saw your messages and hadn't replied yet!

Who else needs turkeys? I can send 8 for $45

Quote:
I started peeling back the netting on my run and they are getting out and yet still laying in their coop, so it's working well. I have one girl who shuns the coop and squeezes into the Chantecler coop (9" x 10" pop door, 12" topless square nest box!) and lays in their nest. What a relief!