Turkey Talk for 2014

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Can anyone give me some suggestions on a smaller turkey breed? I know about the midget white, the jersey buff and Beltsville. Are there any others I should be considering? We are a smaller family of three, so don't need the really big turkey, but do want to raise a heritage breed. Thanks in advance!
 
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I don't post much, although, that might need to change with the new incubator I just ordered, but I wanted to thank everyone for the 2013 turkey thread. I learned a lot. Maybe too much, since I seem to be hooked on turkeys now. Not really a good thing for someone who owns no property and relies on the teetering tolerance of the neighbor. I look forward to learning more in 2014.

BTW, I just sold my first hatching eggs. I'm nervous. I sure hope she gets a good hatch. I'm hoping to hatch some myself.

I wanted to comment on herding turkeys. I have 2 chickens, a hen and a rooster. The coyotes got the other hens. My rooster thinks all the hens (turkeys) belong to him. He's mean to those hens, not to the chicken hen though. The hens hate him and often gang up on him. Last week, things got ugly. One hen and the rooster tore each others heads up pretty good. Then the hens refused to go in the coop. They plopped themselves down and wouldn't budge. I had to carry all 5 in and those BBB's are heavy! This went on for several days. They started going in themselves again for a few days, then back to carrying some of them in. So, how's that turkey herding work? I might need lessons.
 
@013 brought turkeys to the Circle U Farm and they are awesome. My girlfriend likes the turkeys much better than the chickens. They are so full of personality. I am keeping a pair of bourbon reds and a pair of some sort of cross. They look like a chocolate palm but with more white in them. Had my first smoked heritage turkey for christmas. Was very good. The texture was definitely different than the hybrid turkeys but I really enjoyed it and got good reviews from family. God bless all of you in 2014 and happy hatching.
 
Arielle said:
THe old thread is closed-- I miss it already. THought I woudl have today to put in the last posts-- so I will do it here. What a great year we had in 2013 and I appreciate all the friends that I have made due to a wonderfully silly bird called the turkey.

Perhaps someone who made one of the last posts can put in a link to this now well established and happening thread?
Click to expand...

Arielle -

I bought three of your babies back in May (I think) and wanted to say thank you! I loved watching them grow and honestly had a hard time culling. Hopefully you will be around again in the spring so I can get a few more of them!
 
gevshiba said:
I don't post much, although, that might need to change with the new incubator I just ordered, but I wanted to thank everyone for the 2013 turkey thread. I learned a lot. Maybe too much, since I seem to be hooked on turkeys now. Not really a good thing for someone who owns no property and relies on the teetering tolerance of the neighbor. I look forward to learning more in 2014.

BTW, I just sold my first hatching eggs. I'm nervous. I sure hope she gets a good hatch. I'm hoping to hatch some myself.

I wanted to comment on herding turkeys. I have 2 chickens, a hen and a rooster. The coyotes got the other hens. My rooster thinks all the hens (turkeys) belong to him. He's mean to those hens, not to the chicken hen though. The hens hate him and often gang up on him. Last week, things got ugly. One hen and the rooster tore each others heads up pretty good. Then the hens refused to go in the coop. They plopped themselves down and wouldn't budge. I had to carry all 5 in and those BBB's are heavy! This went on for several days. They started going in themselves again for a few days, then back to carrying some of them in. So, how's that turkey herding work? I might need lessons.
Click to expand...

My turkey hens hate the chicken roosters, with good reason. The roosters are tactless and aggressive in their pleas for mating, and the turkey hens don't tolerate that type of behavior. The other day a rooster came up to a Spanish Black turkey hen, jumped on her back and plucked a neck feather. The toms gobbled and surrounded the rooster, and the hen attacked him -- feet to face, then got his head on the ground and was stomping on his head and neck -- I thought she was going to kill him. When he got up and tried to run she grabbed his comb in her mouth and held on for a few minutes as he helplessly twirled around her. After it was over he's behaved himself for a few days, but he's starting to get more interested in the turkey hens than the chicken hens again, and I have no doubt that the turkey hens will again put him in his place.

Your situation may be different because your hens are BBBs. Because of their huge size, they don't have the agility (or possibly the instinct) to defend themselves adequately with their feet, so they use their beaks and get their heads injured (other than the loss of one feather and a bit of initial indignity, my hen had no injuries at all). When they can't defend themselves adequately, and don't have toms to defend them, they're going to feel more vulnerable and not want to sleep in the same house as the rooster. If he roosts up higher than them they will feel especially uneasy with the situation. Is there any way to separate the turkey hens and the rooster, especially at night?
 
roostersandhens said:
Hello!
I would really like a house turkey, whether that will actually happen, I don't know. I just heard about someone on BYC who has a house turkey! :) I was wondering what is the smallest breed of turkey, how much work are they, what is the sweetest breed, if anyone has an answer to those questions please answer!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
I don't think I would like a turkey in the house. Even from the small ones, you can get an amazing amount of poop! And my turkeys test everything they encounter to see if it is food. I could see a turkey easily jumping up on your counter and plowing through everything there.

That being said, the two smallest breeds are the Midget White and the Beltsville White. Royal Palms are a little smaller than the other breeds, but not by a whole lot.

I have no input on the sweetest variety. I think you will find it is down to the individual, not the variety level as far as personality goes. Some people have even said their commercial type BBB and BBWs can have sweet personalities.
 

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