Turkey Talk for 2014

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
How old are they approximately? Are they less than a week old, around a month old, around 6 months, that sort of thing? Just your best guess. And what variety are they, especially are they the commercial broad breasted variety, or are they heritage turkeys, or are they wild turkeys?

 

[chickadoodles]

I now have 5 of the 6 turkey eggs hatched. A lot better than my first hatch of 3/6. Thanks to everyone for the helpful suggestions on incubator and hatcher adjustments for hatching turkeys.
In their brooder with a jersey giant tutor.

Congrats on your hatch that's great!

 

[NewToFarming]

When you check for the bullseye be sure that you do find the spot itself before giving up. Sometimes the bullseye is on the underside of the yolk (but rarely -- for some reason it usually lands bullseye side up), If I don't find a spot without a bullseye, I get a spoon and gently turn the yolk over.

Ahh, the trials of young love. Sometimes they just need to practice! I thought DeLorean had it right for over a week, then yesterday he approached a hen from the front and stepped on her neck. Today he got the approach right, was right in the middle of everything and a young rooster came up behind them and just dove on top of the hen, right between DeLorean's long legs, and grabbed the back of the hen's head in his mouth and started trying to breed her. The hen was totally confused, because toms don't do that, but there was clearly a tom on top of her. The other tom that was beside DeLorean started pecking at the rooster's tail and gobbling mightily (what more can you ask of your wingman?), and DeLorean started hammering at the rooster's head, but the rooster wasn't budging. I was worried that the hen would get injured so I went over and pulled the rooster out of the pile. Teenagers!!!!

LOL....now that is funny! Poor girl! Sounds like it was quite the commotion! I will try flipping the yolk over if I don't see a bulleyes with the next one I crack open.

 

[Momhunter]

Congrats on your hatch that's great! 

Thanks!!

I was wondering how many of you use chicken chick tutors vs just encouraging the poults to eat and drink yourselves??
I may now want to continue hatching chicks all summer with my poults.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Congrats on your hatch that's great! 

Thanks!!

I was wondering how many of you use chicken chick tutors vs just encouraging the poults to eat and drink yourselves??
I may now want to continue hatching chicks all summer with my poults.

I hatch year round, so there are always chicks in my brooder to teach the poults. So much simpler that way.

 

[chicken pickin]

Thanks!!

I was wondering how many of you use chicken chick tutors vs just encouraging the poults to eat and drink yourselves??
I may now want to continue hatching chicks all summer with my poults.

I have done it both ways and both work fine. I have no preference either way. I don't find teaching poults to eat and drink as tough as a lot of people say it is. To me its more people just passing that info on just because they have read it lots. Marbles in waterer and feed dish work well and just make sure you see each one find the waterer and drink don't just assume and all should be fine.

 

[R2elk]

I have done it both ways and both work fine. I have no preference either way. I don't find teaching poults to eat and drink as tough as a lot of people say it is. To me its more people just passing that info on just because they have read it lots. Marbles in waterer and feed dish work well and just make sure you see each one find the waterer and drink don't just assume and all should be fine.

My experience is that a chick tutor is beneficial with small groups of poults such as 5 or fewer and that for groups of 15 or more poults that a chick tutor is not necessary but also does not hurt having one. It does seem to be beneficial to scatter some feed on the floor of the brooder rather than relying on the poults to go directly to a feeder.

The only times that I put marbles in a waterer is for tiny chicks such as guinea keets or perhaps bantam chicks especially if they are confined in a small area which makes it easy for them to get pushed into the waterer. I am using the marbles only to prevent the drowning of the little ones not as an attractant.

 

[Momhunter]

My experience is that a chick tutor is beneficial with small groups of poults such as 5 or fewer and that for groups of 15 or more poults that a chick tutor is not necessary but also does not hurt having one.  It does seem to be beneficial to scatter some feed on the floor of the brooder rather than relying on the poults to go directly to a feeder.

The only times that I put marbles in a waterer is for tiny chicks such as guinea keets or perhaps bantam chicks especially if they are confined in a small area which makes it easy for them to get pushed into the waterer.  I am using the marbles only to prevent the drowning of the little ones not as an attractant.

I was hoping to only make sure and have chicks the right age for bring a tutor while hatching these first small groups of turkey eggs. I finally got to gather 3 eggs at once 2 nights ago. Since my slates just started laying also I should gave bigger groups of poults, I put 13 eggs in last night, four from the slates and the rest all from my RP.

 

[jkeating00]

Turns out I'm hatching Red Ranger chickens, Narragensett turkeys, Emus and mixed breed geese this season! Oh what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!

 

[yinepu]

Quote:

I did a double take trying to figure out what kind of chickens, or turkeys, ro ducks, or emu or goose . .... . and then I got it. lol

THey found the right home!!

ya just never know what may be lurking in our incubators!