Tsc turkeys!?!?

[Jmiller429]

the BB cannot fly well at all. I keep my turkeys with my expensive chickens, Some dont. The risk here is blackhead and some other nasty chicken diseases, but its your call. Heritage can and will fly very well. and as far as turkey eggs go, the are so much better than chicken eggs. before you get any BB birds, please understand these are not meant to be pets, they will get extremely large, and 98% develop heart or leg problems if you do not butcher them. The also will not breed naturally as they are too big. I really suggest a heritage breed unless you are raising the BB for meat purposes. You could always clip a wing.

 

[15chickiemama]

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Well I guess I will see what they have. I planned on raising them till about 6-8 weeks then taking them to my dads bc he can free range them. Now when u free range them will they leave? Or stay there? And don't they sleep in trees?

 

[ColbyNTX]

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Blackhead is not the only concern. Now I run chickens and turkeys togather but it's not an issue here. The thing I would warn you about is that when a turkey decides he doesn't like you chicken or duck, he can kill it pretty quick. I have had it happen even with some of my most gentle toms! I don't know why but it just happened. You may never have any problems but just be aware.

Also, I wanted to second that most broad breasted should not be kept as pets. You may get lucky and get one who doesn't have very good BB genes and can live for years but a good BB will die in a year or so because they just get too big to function. They are like a grossly over weight person trying to function and don't have a good quality of like. They are ment to be butchered at 4-6 months old. If you want a pet get a heritage breed.

 

[Delmar]

So I called my local TSC and they said they could special order them, but I would have to order 25 of them at $8.99 a piece. Too rich for my blood!

 

[Jmiller429]

Quote:
Well I guess I will see what they have. I planned on raising them till about 6-8 weeks then taking them to my dads bc he can free range them. Now when u free range them will they leave? Or stay there? And don't they sleep in trees?

If they have food and shelter they have no reason to leave. I keep mine penned up in breeding season, or if i get new birds, they get penned up two weeks straight, then gradually get left out longer and longer. Eventually they figure out where to come back to. and yes, heritage birds will roost in trees.

 

[budda]

Turkey eggs are delicious. When I was raiding them, it would be a race with my grandfather to get them from the nests because he loved them for breakfast too!!