Turkey Poults-Saw some today-Now I want them

[ticks]

I went to a local farm today and they had Polts that seemed pretty old. About the size of a foot ball, they had a little bit of a bare head, They didn't have a light. They seemed pretty friendly. I looked in the cage at them and they flew up to me and started to squak (sp) at me. I want some turkeys that won't have leg disorders and I won't have to kill.
What about Burbon Reds? THose were what I saw today, them and wild eastern.

 

[eggcochin_freak5]

turkeys are great.

 

[Cara]

Turkeys remind me of geese in terms of personality, but a bit flightier. They are very curious. I just loved mine, until the pesky raccoon killed most of them. I have two left, a Bourbon Red and a Slate/Bourbon cross. I lost two Bourbon Reds, a Slate and a White Holland. The Holland was the friendliest, although very ugly! The Slates are the flightiest in my experience. The Bourbon Red is somewhat scaredy but interested, and when I pick him up he relaxes; he even let me get a piece of fluff out of his eye! My turkeys are about 3-4 months old now. Bear in mind they can be really good flyers; that's what saved the two. The noise they make is great.

 

[Mahonri]

I wish I had room for some turkeys.

I sure do love them at Thanksgiving time!

 

[ticks]

What breed can't fly? Or would I just have to do some wing clipping?

 

[warcard]

Only the Broadbreasted really can't fly, and then you're back to the other health problems. In my experience most domestic turkeys when full grown would rather limit their flying, but clipping wings is the best way to be sure.

 

[pdpatch]

All breads can sort of fly, including our Great White and BB bronze to some degree. But the Great white and BB bronze only fly a few yards to a few feet at 15 weeks old.

We have a comfinment are out side for them now that's about 25 feet long. The Red Bourben can fly from one end to the other along with the blue slate. But not the larger birds they kind of run and flap there wings at the same time.


The blue slate are little larger then the red's

Tom

 

[Frosty]

Bourbon Reds and wilds are fine as far as the leg problems go... that's just a problem with the broad breasted types. Even then if I keep the weight gain on the slow side and give them space to run around they don't have problems as bad. At 5 months old my broad breasted turkeys can still fly up onto a 6 foot fence. In my experience my Bourbon Reds were the friendliest, and the Royal Palms that I had were very flighty.

 

[wilds of pa]

Well i can say all the bbb turkeys we had several years ago could fly when young, but that soon ended once they got large. they could no longer get up on a 4 ft roost and then the males legs didnt last long.
We even let them free range for the short 6 months of there lives and the males we had, had to be put down do to not being able to walk. We had a female that went almost a good 2 years and then her legs got the best of her as well, she never could fly as well only in her very young poult age.

Now my wild eastern turkeys that is a whole diffrenet ball game, these are not hatchery stock Wilds they come from good true wild lines....Some from Private breeders for hunting clubs..

They are awesome flyers and anyone who has been here and seen Elmer(4 years old) fly from a stand still straight up into the trees at 20ft plus easly is a sight to be~hold..

Elmer

Broody hens with there poults

Hens

escapey poult

Older poults

More baby poults

Charlie