Turkenstein25's Turkey Talk for 2015

[Ironsights]

I am having so much fun with my two Bourbon Reds.  I have a tom and a hen, both 8 weeks old or so.  They are so curious and play with absolutely everything.  Their favorite thing is a huge inflatable whale that my kids use in the backyard pool.  If it ends up on the ground, both turkeys insist on either sitting on it, or curling up next to it.  If they see it in the pool they sqwak and chirp at it as if to call it by name.  

They play Marco Polo all over the yard looking for the flock of little hens, about 10 weeks old, that they think are their siblings.  They freak out until they find them.  

At night they have learned to go into their little turkey house, and just need a little coaxing that it's bedtime.  I use a child's garden rake that has a yellow rake head on it.  It makes my arm seem so much longer, and they have learned that when I start walking behind them with that outstretched they need to get back to their run.  

Hank (the Tom) is starting to gobble, but only by accident.  He is usually trying to find Chris (the hen), and the gobble sort of slips out and surprises him. 

Everything they find is a toy, and I have watched them taking turns picking up a stick, waving it around like a bow staff, and throwing it.  

My Red Bourbon poults got separated into two different bunches last night (on purpose) because they are getting too big to stay in one pen. They freaked! I put them back together and am looking for other "accommodations" today.

 

[teria]

Oh, I can just imagine the commotion. Mine can't even be on the opposite side of a cardboard box without losing their minds. When they finally find each other again it's like they haven't seen each other for a week.

The odd thing is, they spend the entire day free ranging with their little chick flock and panicking when they lose track of them, but, at night, they are fine being completely separate from them. Turkeys....they crack me up.

 

[Ironsights]

You have to wonder what goes on in their little turkey minds...if it's like mine, not much!

 

[Book Em Danno25]

I am having so much fun with my two Bourbon Reds. I have a tom and a hen, both 8 weeks old or so. They are so curious and play with absolutely everything. Their favorite thing is a huge inflatable whale that my kids use in the backyard pool. If it ends up on the ground, both turkeys insist on either sitting on it, or curling up next to it. If they see it in the pool they sqwak and chirp at it as if to call it by name.

They play Marco Polo all over the yard looking for the flock of little hens, about 10 weeks old, that they think are their siblings. They freak out until they find them.

At night they have learned to go into their little turkey house, and just need a little coaxing that it's bedtime. I use a child's garden rake that has a yellow rake head on it. It makes my arm seem so much longer, and they have learned that when I start walking behind them with that outstretched they need to get back to their run.

Hank (the Tom) is starting to gobble, but only by accident. He is usually trying to find Chris (the hen), and the gobble sort of slips out and surprises him.

Everything they find is a toy, and I have watched them taking turns picking up a stick, waving it around like a bow staff, and throwing it.

That's cute. I can just see that. Bourbon reds are very friendly, and entertaining.

 

[Finnie]

Very interesting, because you guys are talking about your Bourbon Reds as though they act different from other turkeys. Or is it just because that's the kind you happen to have, and any turkey would act that way?

And the reason I ask is because I have three turkeys, a Sweetgrass that is coming up on three months old, and two that are coming up on 6 months. One of those is a Narragansett, and as close as we can figure, the other one is a Bourbon Red mix, because it looks kind of like what photos I can find of a standard bronze with one red gene. And that is the one (it's Cranberry) that does all the goofy things that make us laugh, just like your tales about your Bourbon Reds.

But we have always attributed it to the way that poult was raised. (Imprinted on the breeder's family right from hatch, underfoot in their living room, sleeping in their hoodie pockets, running to get him (and his brother Stuffing) out of their brooder whenever they called out for their human "mamas". With my other two poults, that were just in a brooder their first two weeks, no matter how much I tried to handle them, they just really didn't like it. No making up for those critical first two weeks I guess.

But I just wondered if there might be something to the red gene being different. I know with some other animal breeds, color is linked to domestication. (Foxes, I think? And red chow dogs are supposed to be nicer than black ones.)

 

[teria]

These are our first two turkeys ever, so, I don't know much about the breed in general, but, I do know something about dogs and color can make a difference. Labs for instance. When it comes to behavior, the black labs are more excitable and are master escape artists. The white labs are more calm and not as apt to try too hard to escape their yard, and then the chocolate are even moreso. That said, it is only by degrees, and so the difference is not dramatic between them, just noticeable by someone that works with shelter animals and sees far more black labs being picked up as running at large, than the other two colors.

Also, with chickens, even though they are all chickens, they are not all alike between varieties. So, I guess the same rule applies to turkeys. Like the Leghorns being more aloof and skittish, compared to the Buff Orpington's mild personality and social nature. There are always exceptions to every rule.We have one Leghorn that is more social than the other and actually comes up and chats with us looking for treats.

Maybe someone with more experience with different varieties of turkeys will chime in. Either way, the Bourbon Reds I have are a great advertisement for that variety. I still want to get a different variety every year.

 

[Ironsights]

Very interesting, because you guys are talking about your Bourbon Reds as though they act different from other turkeys.  Or is it just because that's the kind you happen to have, and any turkey would act that way?

And the reason I ask is because I have three turkeys, a Sweetgrass that is coming up on three months old, and two that are coming up on 6 months.  One of those is a Narragansett, and as close as we can figure, the other one is a Bourbon Red mix, because it looks kind of like what photos I can find of a standard bronze with one red gene.  And that is the one (it's Cranberry) that does all the goofy things that make us laugh, just like your tales about your Bourbon Reds.

But we have always attributed it to the way that poult was raised.  (Imprinted on the breeder's family right from hatch, underfoot in their living room, sleeping in their hoodie pockets, running to get him (and his brother Stuffing) out of their brooder whenever they called out for their human "mamas".  With my other two poults, that were just in a brooder their first two weeks, no matter how much I tried to handle them, they just really didn't like it.  No making up for those critical first two weeks I guess.

But I just wondered if there might be something to the red gene being different.  I know with some other animal breeds, color is linked to domestication.  (Foxes, I think?  And red chow dogs are supposed to be nicer than black ones.)

In my case it's just the poults I have at the moment. But I do think color makes a difference. My wife for instance, is a red head. JUST kidding, ladies! She's the smartest person I've ever known (I never win arguments so I just shuffle off to my little corner and pout) and she's put up with me since we were kids.
Not sure how I went from poults to that! Anyway I've noticed that different breeds have different attributes just like most animals.

 

[Mochadlik]

I have had turkeys for one year now. I started with 4 poults that were to be raised for meat. I got quite taken with them and when I found out they were all boys I got 2 one year old hens from the original breeder. They are Narragansette. One of the hens must have been part Palm due to throwing a white offspring. I Kept one tom from the original bunch. I incubated eggs and got 7 poults in the spring. I sold all but 2, reserving two for this year's holiday meals .During all this time we went from a temporary dog kennel shelter to a dedicated turkey pen and housing. Once that was built gave the poults to the hens, who by then were sitting on a few more eggs. There were five eggs, all hatched but during a brutal heat wave and I only had three survive. So now I have three generations of turkeys in one very nice pen and run when I didn't even plan on buying the turkeys the day I went to the swap one year ago. I like the Narragansette and will keep this breed. They have a very lean dark tasty meat. I am thinking about selling a pair from the older set, the two teens will go to freezer camp and I am still waiting to sex the three little ones. I think they are very fun interesting birds.
We water using a 5 gallon bucket modified to have two turkey founts. We have a treadle feeder. I give them turkey pellets. they seldom get kitchen scraps because they are picky and most of that goes to the chickens who leave nothing behind. The pen is 180 sq feet. husband built a walk in shelter on the side of our barn. There is a door and you walk in a caged area. One half is solid, the other half is roofed and wire covered framed side. Dirt floor. The only nest is a 6 inch high 4x4 box. The adult hens are always in it. The younger birds are on roosts. I think the senior tom is too big and he seldom is off the ground. Once it stopped raining here in Oregon we keep the door open. I have a baby gate so the big birds can hop out but the 3 little ones stay in the shelter. The pen had 6 foot woven wire field fence, about 40 x 40 feet.

 

[Jamesaustin88]

How can you tell what a young male turkey looks like? Do they have longer tails then females

 

[Book Em Danno25]

How can you tell what a young male turkey looks like? Do they have longer tails then females

Ok. go to the forum what breed or gender is this, and start a new thread. ask the people there. they are good at what they do.