Turkey Talk for 2014

[TherryChicken]

I wish I had known a few weeks ago.. I would have started tossing the broody hens off the nests...

sorry, yeah I been looking for a while

 

[Corny Caleb]

My BR hen has been laying eggs for 3 weeks and I don't touch them hoping that she will hatch some out, But she hasn't, and I heard that BR turkeys are good broodies. I would set them in my own incubator but I'm waiting for my last emu egg to hatch, What should I do?

 

[chicken pickin]

My BR hen has been laying eggs for 3 weeks and I don't touch them hoping that she will hatch some out, But she hasn't, and I heard that BR turkeys are good broodies. I would set them in my own incubator but I'm waiting for my last emu egg to hatch, What should I do?

Hmmm get another incubator lol.

Make a home made bator if your handy.

Id collect them and at least eat them if anything, they are delicious I wouldn't let them go to waste.

 

[Corny Caleb]

Hmmm get another incubator lol.

Make a home made bator if your handy.

Id collect them and at least eat them if anything, they are delicious I wouldn't let them go to waste.

Yeah, I should get another incubator. The egg that is in the bator at the moment should hatch out in a week and a half and then the bator would be free, how long can you keep turkey eggs before hatchability goes down?

 

[chicken pickin]

Yeah, I should get another incubator. The egg that is in the bator at the moment should hatch out in a week and a half and then the bator would be free, how long can you keep turkey eggs before hatchability goes down?

I keep my turkey eggs for about 10 days. I have kept them a little longer.

 

[Corny Caleb]

I keep my turkey eggs for about 10 days. I have kept them a little longer.

Ok, thanks, for the info. I think I'll start collecting them now.

 

[Quailsong]

Hello, all! Just jumping in to this thread.

My DH & I are going to give turkeys a try this year. We currently have Japanese Coturnix Quail & BSLW chickens. We'll be picking up 3 day old SR turkeys (Bronze Breasted) along with a few more chicken day-olds in mid May. They'll be from Poultry Performance, a hatchery nearby me in Ontario.

Our main plan is to just see how we do with them - more of a familiarity phase & see if we like them.The turkeys will be raised alongside the chickens with natural prevention methods for blackhead & the likes. I'll be trying to keep dampness down as well. Later in the year they may also end up in another area to semi free-range away from the chickens, if Roo/Jake aggression pops up.

Since they're straight run, we won't know what we'll get for genders. We will likely cull a Jake by thanksgiving (US or CAN, not sure yet since we celebrate both). If we have any girls, we may end up selling them to local farms before winter. The 3 turkeys will go before winter, regardless.

If we find we like 'em, we may try them again with a new plan the next year - building a permanent coop/structure for them, etc.

Hopefully I didn't ramble too much!

 

[BullChick]

Hello, all! Just jumping in to this thread.

My DH & I are going to give turkeys a try this year. We currently have Japanese Coturnix Quail & BSLW chickens. We'll be picking up 3 day old SR turkeys (Bronze Breasted) along with a few more chicken day-olds in mid May. They'll be from Poultry Performance, a hatchery nearby me in Ontario.

Our main plan is to just see how we do with them - more of a familiarity phase & see if we like them.The turkeys will be raised alongside the chickens with natural prevention methods for blackhead & the likes. I'll be trying to keep dampness down as well. Later in the year they may also end up in another area to semi free-range away from the chickens, if Roo/Jake aggression pops up.

Since they're straight run, we won't know what we'll get for genders. We will likely cull a Jake by thanksgiving (US or CAN, not sure yet since we celebrate both). If we have any girls, we may end up selling them to local farms before winter. The 3 turkeys will go before winter, regardless.

If we find we like 'em, we may try them again with a new plan the next year - building a permanent coop/structure for them, etc.

Hopefully I didn't ramble too much!

Hi! I am a newbie too, with 2 BBW jakes, and 5 Bourbon Reds coming next week. So far, this is pretty cool. Still getting used to the idea of raising my own meat. I have never been crazy about meat, and really don't eat much turkey. But, I am glad I am doing this. Just remind me of that in about three or four months!

 

[chickadoodles]

He is so lovely-- I"m sorry too AUstin.

x3 So sorry

 

[AmericanMom]

Are you checking the air cells?
49 to 53% humidity (for me) would result in drowned birds... so if the air cell isn't on track you still have time to drop it down

i have no idea what you are using for a hygrometer... but they are usually wrong (just the nature of the beast).. so it could just be a calibration issue and your humidity is actually a lot lower than what it's reading... but yeah... that's pretty high if it's reading right... but if it is correct and it works for you (air cells and weight loss on track) .. then it's just an example of different relative humidity affecting hatches differently... either way.. i would trust the eggs more than a hygrometer!

I candled a few as I was placing them in and these old eyes couldn't determine through that shell where the air cell was, I was able to on the geese and marked those, I did notice in my test candle of a few yesterday ( Turkey) that I could see the air cell so had planned on marking them on day 10.. I read on the Porters website and on Your hatching guide and that's kinda what I was going for.. The porters site said 50% , I printed out the graphic on your hatching guide and have that on the wall next to the bator, but if it is to high what should it be at??

I haven't added any water to the incubator and have taken the humidifier from the room, I re-read those instructions and it says the ROOM to be about 50% humidity and that Porters never adds water to the incubator... I'm going into day 11 on the first batch and day one on the second in a separate incubator, I bought another temp/ humidity gauge and also have one for the room... Both incubators are running at between 34-36% and the room varies, right now its at 38%... I candled the turkey eggs yesterday but still couldn't get a good look at the air cells, will try again at 14 days.. I did post a picture of the goose egg but alas its not a turkey egg lol... I'll try again..