Turkenstein25's Turkey Talk for 2015

[BantamFan4Life]

I want a sustainable source of turkey that I can use for meat. Now my wife on the other hand wants nothing to do with them and doesn't care to butcher or the idea. I am hoping that turkeys do something like eat a ton of mice or ticks. That'd be good ammunition

Hello! If you're looking for a turkey that produces lots of meat, I would recommend Broad Breasted turkeys. However, if you're looking for better quality meat, but less of it, heritage turkeys would be best. I'm pretty sure turkeys eat lots of pests, but if you're looking for a pest controller, guinea fowl would be a better choice. I hope you can get those turkeys

 

[Bush84]

Hello! If you're looking for a turkey that produces lots of meat, I would recommend Broad Breasted turkeys. However, if you're looking for better quality meat, but less of it, heritage turkeys would be best. I'm pretty sure turkeys eat lots of pests, but if you're looking for a pest controller, guinea fowl would be a better choice. I hope you can get those turkeys

I know that the bbw would be a better meat turkey, but I want to be able to raise my own. My plans are to build an incubator and hatch my own eggs, which is why I'd rather get going sooner than later. I am fully aware it takes a solid year for turkeys to sexually mature. Bourbon reds is what I had planned.

 

[Book Em Danno25]

Hello! I think we might be getting turkeys this year! We were going to get pigs--but their availability this year is low. Thus, we should be getting turkeys!

thats so awesome Brent!! what breed(s) are you planning on getting?

 

[BantamFan4Life]

thats so awesome Brent!! what breed(s) are you planning on getting?

I'm not sure, but it's probably going to be BB Bronze, which is what we got last time. I'd prefer to try a heritage breed though.

 

[SoProlix]

It's official. I have at least one egg eating chicken hen. The one I know is doing it is of course my favorite hen. We're thinking about building new nest boxes that tilt back when the hen gets up so the egg rolls away. I think that will keep them from having the chance to eat them and I won't have to cull her. My concern is that my turkeys may not lay in those nest boxes (they haven't started laying yet). So my naughty hen might eat the turkey eggs. I've heard turkey eggs are harder than chicken eggs, but probably not harder than a beak. Has anybody else ever been in a similar situation? Did your egg eating chicken eat turkey eggs too? (We have oyster shell available free choice, collect the eggs as often as possible when we're home, and leave golf balls in the nest so maybe sometimes she pecks something she doesn't like. All to no avail.)

 

[BantamFan4Life]

It's official. I have at least one egg eating chicken hen. The one I know is doing it is of course my favorite hen. We're thinking about building new nest boxes that tilt back when the hen gets up so the egg rolls away. I think that will keep them from having the chance to eat them and I won't have to cull her. My concern is that my turkeys may not lay in those nest boxes (they haven't started laying yet). So my naughty hen might eat the turkey eggs. I've heard turkey eggs are harder than chicken eggs, but probably not harder than a beak. Has anybody else ever been in a similar situation? Did your egg eating chicken eat turkey eggs too? (We have oyster shell available free choice, collect the eggs as often as possible when we're home, and leave golf balls in the nest so maybe sometimes she pecks something she doesn't like. All to no avail.)

You should try putting several fake eggs in the nesting boxes, then, if your hen tries to eat those, she will realize they aren't good and stop her egg eating habits.

 

[Mochadlik]

I have Narragansetts. I got four hatchling in Sept 2014. They all turned out to be toms. They were excellent meat. I got two one year old hens at the same time. I saved one tom to breed. In six months the hens have not laid one egg. Disappointing but they are fun birds and I like their vocalizations

 

[racinchickins]

I have Narragansetts. I got four hatchling in Sept 2014. They all turned out to be toms. They were excellent meat. I got two one year old hens at the same time. I saved one tom to breed. In six months the hens have not laid one egg. Disappointing but they are fun birds and I like their vocalizations

Unlike a lot of chicken breeds, Turkeys are seasonal layers. If you hatch a hen, she will not lay until spring of the next year. If you buy a hen and she isn't laying, odds are you will need to wait until the following spring.

 

[chknoodles]

Turkeys don't CROW and only the males "gobble". Hens talk a bit and coo and trill...but nothing near as loud as the noises out of our chicken coops/runs.

 

[Finnie]

Hi, I have been reading this thread ever since Sunday when I read that having a turkey can keep hawks away from your chickens. (Sad story behind that.)

I had to do a lot of reading up about turkeys, because I wasn't sure if their pros would outweigh their cons. I didn't plan to own such a large bird. It will probably mean not keeping as many chickens as I had hoped for.

I've only read up to page 15 so far, but as of Wednesday, I am now a turkey Mama, so I wanted to jump in and say "Hi!" And post photos of my little cuties. They are Narragansetts, and today is their three week birthday. After reading so many reports that it's hard to get newly hatched poults to eat, I was really thankful that mine are well past that stage. But that didn't stop me from worrying when I didn't see them eat the first day...

Here they are:














My daughter's college roommate said I should name them Stuffing and Gravy. That's cute, but neither one of them looks like a "Gravy". (They both kind of look like bits of stuffing, though, don't they?) I think I might change it to Cranberry and Stuffing instead. (Cranberry is the taller one, and no, food names does not mean they are intended to be dinner!

) Their job is to be LGTs.

I am already amazed at how much more human-oriented they are than chicken chicks I have raised. Really, even more so than parakeet babies that I hand feed. The credit must be due to the man and his family who have been loving on them since they hatched.

I've been enjoying this thread and look forward to pages 16 and up!