The Old Folks Home

[CanuckBock]

4. Both can have beards, but toms will grow longer.

9. Both will display when young, but by the age of sexual maturity, only toms gobble.

This year I have done my own research on how to tell the sex of very young poults and chicks before they are old enough for the above! I have used a couple hundred poults to test as I hatched out Holland White, Midget White and A few Bourbon Red Poults this year, with 94% accuracy!
10. If you can hold the bird on your lap, laying on it's back, at any age, if it holds it's feet up close to it's back, it is probably a hen. If it extends it's legs or even just one leg, you probably have a tom. This, I find works with day old chicks and poults and seams to be based of their natural defensive posture of male vs female responses in these birds. I thought someone else might benefit from my findings, too, so I thought I would share.

I concur...the boys gobble and the girls lay eggs...two rooles I have not yet seen broken as far as genders in turks go...course maybe if the ovary quits on a hen...could she, mighten she...maybe gobble...maybe voice box is different...dunno?


Boys gobble

Girls lay eggs



BEARDS

LoREDa...GIRL




Black Bart - BOY (have spurs too but am thinking like chicken girls, probably have girl turks with spurs??)

STRUT YER STUFF (Hmm, stuffing...turkalurk stuffing)

Displaying or strutting...both genders do this BUT I find the more dominant hens strut more often... Happens a lot in the spring when jostling about regarding "pecking order" in the flock. The girl that struts is often lead turkey girl. This is Geri...




Jersey Buff hen Geri strutting her stuff.





Left - Black Bart (boy) and Right - Louise (girl). She was giving him a rough time that day...so I would expect under that wing a ding, she's clasping her ROLLING PIN...someone's gonna get a duke in the head...oh my!

This one I bet nobody has EVER seen before...heh heh heh...

I am thinking a SKIN TAG that grew feathers...Sweetgrass Tri-colour...this is Chiq...and her BOWTIE!!

​

Bwa ha ha...turkeys are always dressed (dressed for dinner...No NO...stop that...yummy yum...QUIT!) up so fine in their finery.

​

Ah, l00kit what I done...made Chiq RUN AWAY!!!!!




​

Interesting...about leg positions...will have to watch for that in future. Thanks.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Thanks ROn.

I think I am more worried about the kid's vaccine-- I don't know how effective it is-- most vaccines are not 100%, so we will just take a little extra care.

Yes, there is a shingles vaccine-- which begs the question-- if you already have the virus in the nerve cells then how can a vaccine at this point help? Maybe it only is a booster of sorts.

DH has a stressful job-- dealing with people! Complaining people and urgent situtations and seemlingly endless phone calls, day and many nights. He is on call 24/7. THe " public" has little idea how hard many public servants do work. He loves what he does---

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Very good graph!!

Only the muscovy is missing-- no quack is my kinda duck. THey are hard to catch but I am hoping that contributes to their ability to evade the coyote. ANd they really do perch. Funny to see them on a coop or similar, like a gull. Eggs are hard to crack too.

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Sorry, me again...forgot to post this..havin' FUN talkin' turkey.

Happy first day of spring a ding dong!​

Spring has sprung, no grass has riz...but YEH...I know where all my birdies is...hidin' out inside their houses...Blah! ​

Saying we will get half a foot of snow (believe it too, big fluff flakes and wind blasts!) and -20C (-4F) tonight.

What...Lions again? Came in that way...but I guess maybe like a Lamb out...still got 11 days to smarten up already!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[ozexpat]

Happy first day of spring a ding dong!​

​

thank goodness you have all those walls of wood

 

[gryeyes]

The railroad ties for the "foundation" to the new coop are being set as I type this.
e

 

[CanuckBock]

thank goodness you have all those walls of wood

Yessiree...just put another log on the fire...

This too shall pass...then it will be time for frozen RAIN (hail) season...

Tara

 

[Cynthia12]

Hi everyone I am new to this but thought since I also am on the other side of the hill this would be a good place to start! I have 6 Easter egger hens and 1 rooster. My one hen has been crippled from birth, did not have the heart to put her down but am happy to say she has adapted and is doing well. Also have 2 goldfish a musk turtle and a jack Russell. Would have more if I could but in the same shoes as the other hard to get good help when we leave on vacation.yeah spring finally here getting out this weekend to clean the coop and may be some gardening!
Barbiejo

 

[wolftracks]

Hey Lady!!

Nothing like free range chicken eggs!!

Egg production is picking up here, yaaahoooo-- need to pickle some eggs today.

WOw. disappointing to not get any fresh produce from all your efforts. Amazing how each peice of land can be different. Maybe this year your luck will change.

I sure hope so. I've had crappy gardens since I moved out here.

Hi everyone I am new to this but thought since I also am on the other side of the hill this would be a good place to start! I have 6 Easter egger hens and 1 rooster. My one hen has been crippled from birth, did not have the heart to put her down but am happy to say she has adapted and is doing well. Also have 2 goldfish a musk turtle and a jack Russell. Would have more if I could but in the same shoes as the other hard to get good help when we leave on vacation.yeah spring finally here getting out this weekend to clean the coop and may be some gardening!
Barbiejo

Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

DH just arrived home early from work and is taking a few days off-- shingles. Fortunately I've already had chickenpx and the kids are vaccinated. but I think I will call the pediatricians office for more in formation regarding what to expect with known exposure.

Gotta put a pot of chicken soup on!

I saw you were already told about the chickenpox. I've had them TWICE!
Once when I was a little girl and then again in my 30s. Chickenpox and a broken foot. It was a grear time. NOT!

The railroad ties for the "foundation" to the new coop are being set as I type this.

NICE!!!



I didn't plan it that way, because I really had no idea when Spring started, but I have 2 chicks out so far. First hatch of the year. Can't believe I haven't hatched since ??????? September or October??? WOW! That has never happened. I didn't even turn off 2 of the bators, cause I figured someone would lay, but no.

 

[Cynthia12]

NICE! The buildings that is!