Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[BullChick]

I said I weighed the poults in grams the other day. It was ounces. They are 2.6 and 3.0 oz today. They were 2.0 and 2.3 Friday night.

 

[cheeka]

oh and if Rumples is jostling to sit comfortably, eggs can break... they'll be eaten if they do. might not mean you have an "egg eater"... just a broken egg, that got eaten.

 

[cheeka]

MC, ~ that's fast! although, I guess it's to be expected if they are to reach roughly 20 lbs or more by the end of the season...

 

[BullChick]

It would be great to say, "My turkeys weighed out at 47# dressed!" But then you have to not only cut it in half to fit in a pan and the oven, but the whole processing process would be a chore! I have once seen a turkey that weighed about 46 or 48# dressed. It was great for the community Thanksgiving dinner. Not so great every time I had to pull it out of the deep freezer so yet another person could gawk at it.
Anyway, there are a few problems with huge turkeys. I think DH and I have settled on seeing what June brings. Maybe July. 25 pounds dressed is good.
I almost can't wait until next summer. Once the Bourbon Reds begin reproducing, we are thinking of a turkey fryer party. Have a few biker friends come with a few fryers, and help process a few days before the party. Nothing brings out the bikers like the promise of plenty of fresh meat, beer, and dangerous cooking methods.

I have yet to have deep fried turkey. We are looking at getting a fryer by next spring. Sooner if we find one on sale/yard sale.

 

[cheeka]

my Uncle Jim could fry up some mean turkey! it was always fun to go to their place for Thanksgiving - they owned what I would consider to be My Dream Home. He passed maybe 10 years ago... my Aunt moved to Vermont, to another one of my Dream Home kind of place. you'll have a blast learning just the right technique - without blowing anything up or burning anything down...! I've been offered a spot in a pheasant group order if I want... gotta find out more, supposedly they're into a more ornamental bird. not sure how much good eatin' there is off an ornamental bird... I like pheasant. better than chicken actually. fingers also crossed on acquiring some peachicks next month!

 

[Scrambles55]

MC... I am a biker chick too.'08 Victory Kingpin.

Rumples is off the nest right now, eating and sunbathing with the others. I put in two spots with sand for them and they are ignoring both.

I am considering getting eggs for Rumples to set or possibly chicks in a few weeks. DH is worried that she is too young to take care of babies and would kill them. He knows how attached I get and does not want me to get hurt.

I will see what happens in the next week and then decide to make or break her....

Thanks ... more advice is very welcomed!!

 

[lindz8504]

MC... I am a biker chick too.'08 Victory Kingpin.

Rumples is off the nest right now, eating and sunbathing with the others. I put in two spots with sand for them and they are ignoring both.

I am considering getting eggs for Rumples to set or possibly chicks in a few weeks. DH is worried that she is too young to take care of babies and would kill them. He knows how attached I get and does not want me to get hurt.

I will see what happens in the next week and then decide to make or break her....

Thanks ... more advice is very welcomed!!

I don't think that she is too young. I would probably watch for a week or so, and then give her some eggs!

 

[cheeka]

to me, when a pullet goes broody before "henhood" it tends to mean that she is serious, meant to be a life long Mama... and never a consistent layer... from all the reading I've done, and watching Peach... that seems to be the consensus... Peach was fantastic from hatch 1, very natural and fiercely protective when exposed to the rest of the flock. she's half the size of all of them (now she has Esther and Sillie as size allies) and she managed perfectly. she didn't have to live with the rest, just free range. this is my broody pen now:

stripped down and full of rock hard snow. hope it gets warm soon! this is my next big chore tho'.

 

[Scrambles55]

Your broody pen looks a little cold right now.

Rumples is off the nest and chowing down on food like there is no tomorrow!! I have been on CL looking for hatching eggs. Thanks all...

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Your broody pen looks a little cold right now.

Rumples is off the nest and chowing down on food like there is no tomorrow!! I have been on CL looking for hatching eggs. Thanks all...

Once she shows you she is serious, you'll have time to get her eggs, but finding a source or two is a good idea. You don't want eggs to have to sit around for too long, especially shipped eggs.

It's not hard to break the broody cycle. She might go broody later which could be a more convenient time.

Having her hatch chicks would be so fun, though!