~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[Alaskan]

Yep, I love my Muscovy, lots cleaner than "regular" ducks, I am in love with their personality, and they are super tasty. Also, they come in great colors.

 

[SilkieSensation]

 

 
THe broad breasted white and the broad breasted bronze ( I've had both) are extremely wide and heavy in the breast area and get very big. (Mine couldnt walk bythe time they were 5 months and dressed out at 35#)

THe boys can't get the mating job done.

YOu can get WHite Hollands and Bronzes whic were the starting stock.Editted to add--- these are traditional birds that are slow growing compared to the BBW/BBB, and not as brad and heavy thru the breast area. 

so the big ones do have bone problems (great) where both crippled at 5 months or just one? I was thinking about getting some natt's or blue slates have you had good with either of those?

Oh I loved them and were great eating!!  Very efficient growers and tons of meat. At the time I had to send out for p rocessing and wanted my moneys worth at $10 per turkey.

No leg problems-- just too heavy to walk more than a foot or two during the day. AMbled back into coop at night. Up  until about 4 months they were active; after this time they started to slow down . . . and then sit down. lol BUtcher couldn't fit them into the schedule in a time that worked for the birds.

I have two narrigansetts boys that I keep. BIggest of my heritage toms. Little pushier than myBR and AUburns. SOrry I don't have any experience with the slates.

THe heritage take a longer time togorw out and fill out. I don't purposely select for butchering before 9 months; and longer is better.

I have about 25 turkeys over 9 months, and I will be cutting back significantly. I did a lot of butcherig over the winter and clearly have more to do.I tried a couple varieties over several years and now it is time to make the choices.  

I grew out my bbw hen to 9 months old & over 30 pounds live weight. I had her in with my layers until 8 months so she got a bit lower protien & lots of exercise. Her legs were nice & strong. For the last 4 weeks, I penned her alone in a smaller cage & put her back on my 24% "baby" food. She gained a lot of weight those last 4 weeks & was extremely tasty!
I perfer to keep my poults in with chickens until they reach breeding age. That way, they are used to being with chickens when I pen them all together in winter to make bird chores easier.
I have slates & palms. I have found that raising them yourself & handling/picking them up on a regular basis as they grow out makes a huge difference in how they act as adults when compared to birds I didn't raise & who weren't handled a lot.

As Arielle mentioned, my tom is the peacekeeper. He steps between squabling roos & if that doesn't work, he steps ON them until they give up & go separate ways. He investigates any disturbance in the pen. My roos have quickly learned that it's better to walk away than be stepped on & fights end quickly when they see the tom coming...lol

 

[HEChicken]

As Arielle mentioned, my tom is the peacekeeper. He steps between squabling roos ….

Ahhh no. That was me

 

[winteree]

Raising BBW/BBB is much easier than tackling the cornishx. IMO a bit of chicken experience,a nd cornishX experience will provide for the best outcomes with the cornishX. Meaning, raising a cornishx is not like raising other chickens. I might try them again, but in the fall. ANd I have 3 cros bred cornishX that I would like to see if they will breed. THey grow MUCH faster than my high quality heritage buckeyes-- meaning my crosbred cornishx ( father is marans or BO)

DUck is an easy bird for us. WHen being pesterd by another bid they fly out of reach acroos the lawn. lol ANd search around for everything in the leaves, munch grass, swing by the pellets and off to the water . . . .then coop up at night. I'm refering to the muscovy.

yeah good god that was a nightmareish few months i didn't even want to eat the birds after we culled them they where in so much pain just picking them up to cull them i just don't have the heart to eat something that screams.

 

[winteree]

yeah good god that was a nightmareish few months i didn't even want to eat the birds after we culled them they where in so much pain just picking them up to cull them i just don't have the heart to eat something that screams.

but thats nice to know

 

[SilkieSensation]

As Arielle mentioned, my tom is the peacekeeper. He steps between squabling roos ….

Ahhh no.  That was me 

Oops! Bad case of CRS...lol

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Hey SS can you explain how you measure temps and keep them in a still air?

I thought I read you personally go lower than 102. or is that on a water wiggler reading or internal reading. some studies say 101.5 and some say 102 and some even higher! And some suggest lower first week since embryo floats to the top automatically and then 102 and then back lower for hatching. I am not experienced with still air so what are your thoughts and what works for you personally and what thermos do you use to take temps and at what levels. I even read some keep readings at all three levels of the egg! I want very experienced hatchers opinions on temps for still air please!!!!!

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Thought I'd share this week or two old picture of my babies

 

[SilkieSensation]

Hey SS can you explain how you measure temps and keep them in a still air? 

I thought I read you personally go lower than 102.  or is that on a water wiggler reading or internal reading.  some studies say 101.5 and some say 102 and some even higher!  And some suggest lower first week since embryo floats to the top automatically and then 102 and then back lower for hatching.  I am not experienced with still air so what are your thoughts and what works for you personally and what thermos do you use to take temps and at what levels.  I even read some keep readings at all three levels of the egg!  I want very experienced hatchers opinions on temps for still air please!!!!!   

I use cheap bators, cheap thermometers & no hygrometer...lol
I aim for 102F at the top of my eggs & monitor air cells to tell me if I need to add any water or run dry. I run my hatcher closer to 100F. The only time I ever add water to the toughs in the bottom is to hatch ducks, geese & turkeys. Everything else is done by adding 1/2 pint jars or 6-8oz cups of water to raise humidity & taking them out to lower. I take all red caps out & throw them away & make sure air holes in base stay clear. If I were monitoring humidity: it would average 25-40% before lockdown, raise to 40-45% to hatch quail, 50-60% to hatch chicks & keets 60-80% to hatch ducks, geese & turkeys. I allow a bit of condensation on the windows only during active hatch for ducks, turkeys & geese but make sure there is plenty of air excuange so babies don't sufficate.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: awesome! thank you!!