Turkey Talk for 2014

[Arielle]

This is my 1st time doing turkey's for us to eat. I have 1 bbb and 1 bbw. They are almost 8 wks old now. I've had them in the garage and off heat for 2 weeks now. Will they be ok to put outside in their pen now? I also let them free range with the other animals during the day, can I keep doing this or will they not put on enough weight by the holidays? Thanks

YO birds will be ready long before the holidays. Mine grew to 35 dressed by 5 m old, and they often cruised the back yard for grass and had access to 22% pellets the whole time.

If they are hitting the ground for the first time, then this is likely thier first experience with soil and coccidia. You will need to address how to deal with that exposure. That is when I use medicated feed so I don't loose my investment.

Your birds have less than 3 months to go. GOod luck.

 

[BullChick]

This is my 1st time doing turkey's for us to eat. I have 1 bbb and 1 bbw. They are almost 8 wks old now. I've had them in the garage and off heat for 2 weeks now. Will they be ok to put outside in their pen now? I also let them free range with the other animals during the day, can I keep doing this or will they not put on enough weight by the holidays? Thanks

My 2 BBW have been outside since they were five-weeks-old. It went down to 40* that night, and 33* a few nights later (I keep a journal). Scary, I know. I use straw in there. It made me feel better knowing they had a thick bed to snuggle in. They stopped sleeping inside about 2 weeks ago. The last 2 nights were about 35*. They slept outside on a bed (about 2 inches) of straw. They are nine weeks today.
The Bourbon Reds are not as feathered, but they are in a pen inside a shed. There are five to keep each other warm. I used a heat lamp the first two nights, but the last three I have not. They weren't anywhere near it when I checked on them, and didn't act cold. They were roosting comfortably instead of snuggling in the straw. They are five weeks now.

Does that make you feel better?

 

[TurkenItUp209]

I have a single poult that hatched 5 hours ago. About an hour ago I found the humidity dropped and he was slightly stuck to the metal screen in my LG. I opened the bator and moistened it and he was free, he still has not stood up, or dried. What should I do at this point, he's just laying there peeping now and then, and is not totally dry yet.

Ideas and advice greatly appriecated

 

[farm n louisana]

I blow dry some of my baby chicks when they don't dry off all the way r if they get dirty it works really good

 

[racinchickins]

I have a single poult that hatched 5 hours ago. About an hour ago I found the humidity dropped and he was slightly stuck to the metal screen in my LG. I opened the bator and moistened it and he was free, he still has not stood up, or dried. What should I do at this point, he's just laying there peeping now and then, and is not totally dry yet.

Ideas and advice greatly appriecated

If you have other eggs, and the humidity is still high, mine don't seem completely dry till the next day. and mine don't normally stand a lot until then either. Have you noticed anything else odd? Did it absorb the yolk completely?

 

[TurkenItUp209]

no there is a little tiny tiny bit of yolk still attached, less then the area of a pencil eraser on the end of a pencil. Yes there are other eggs in with it, he hatched a day early on day 27 (today)

 

[lbrykowski2011]

YO birds will be ready long before the holidays. Mine grew to 35 dressed by 5 m old, and they often cruised the back yard for grass and had access to 22% pellets the whole time.

If they are hitting the ground for the first time, then this is likely thier first experience with soil and coccidia. You will need to address how to deal with that exposure. That is when I use medicated feed so I don't loose my investment.

Your birds have less than 3 months to go. GOod luck.

So when u say I have less than 3 mos to go, is there a specific age i will have to cull at? Thanks for the help

 

[lbrykowski2011]

My 2 BBW have been outside since they were five-weeks-old. It went down to 40* that night, and 33* a few nights later (I keep a journal). Scary, I know. I use straw in there. It made me feel better knowing they had a thick bed to snuggle in. They stopped sleeping inside about 2 weeks ago. The last 2 nights were about 35*. They slept outside on a bed (about 2 inches) of straw. They are nine weeks today.
The Bourbon Reds are not as feathered, but they are in a pen inside a shed. There are five to keep each other warm. I used a heat lamp the first two nights, but the last three I have not. They weren't anywhere near it when I checked on them, and didn't act cold. They were roosting comfortably instead of snuggling in the straw. They are five weeks now.

Does that make you feel better?

I have a wooden coop that is 5x5. It is sitting on grass with a roost in it about 5 in above ground. It's a new run so it's all grass, should I throw straw or pine shavings in there also then? Looks like after last night, our low's will be between 50-60 the rest of this week, I'm from Mi. Thanks

 

[jmmeye4]

I have 8 Bourbon Red Turkeys about 7 weeks old. None fight and so I am having an issue trying to determine their sex. Leg size also doesn't help at all as they all have very large legs (compares to their Cochin counterparts.) Is there any distinguishing feature to look for. All seem to have their tail feathers in, wing feathers in, and the necks are all the same right now. They only thing I have noticed is that when the baby roo's fight two will run over and break it up. Quite funny actually because the chick turned to one of them and tried but fell down and then left pride hurt. They also like to control the ducks when they visit because of injury as the big duck bullies and they put it in its place.

 

[SilkieSensation]

 
YO birds will be ready long before the holidays. Mine grew to 35 dressed by 5 m old, and they often cruised the back yard for grass and had access to 22% pellets the whole time. 

If they are hitting the ground for the first time, then this is likely thier first experience with soil and coccidia. You will need to address  how to deal with that exposure. That is when I use medicated feed so I don't loose my investment. 

Your birds have less than 3 months to go. GOod luck.

So when u say I have less than 3 mos to go, is there a specific age i will have to cull at? Thanks for the help

Growth rates really depend on what they are fed & the amount of exercise, as well as gender. I start my poults at a bit lower protein to slow the growth rate so leggs get stronger & don't buckle later. I also pen my chickens & turkeys together (check for blackhead in your area before doing this) to force the poults to get more exercise. My bbw hen last year was in with chickens until 7 months old & then in a small cage by herself the last 4 weeks on high protein feed to fatten before butcher. She was over 30 pounds live weight. It took longer to get her to that size (which is huge for a hen) but she was much healthier than she would have been otherwise. A tom would have likely hit 50 pounds live if done the same way.