Turkey Talk for 2014

[OzarkCountryGirl]

I use Vit B Complex injectable in the 100 ml bottle (brand name is Durvet) that I get from the farm supply store per my vet. It's not specifically for poultry, but it still works. I give it orally at the dose of .5 cc per gallon of water for any ducks with issues (1 cc for those really bad, and isolate the bird or birds in question) and making sure that's their only water source for the day. Make it fresh every day, and just pour out the old in the grass/weeds...it won't hurt anything. Since it's water soluble, I don't have to worry about it creating an overdose over time.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I'm really perplexed! I bought and hatched 8 BR eggs. One poult that I thought had splayed legs at hatch, probably had slipped tendons. I culled him. Then another that was about a week and a half old slipped a tendon. He was culled. A friend thought that was probably an injury. I've been hatching from my BR pair and last week, I had one hatch with slipped tendons. I popped them back in and he was great for 2 days, then slipped one again. This time, it won't stay in. I've been trying to splint the leg, but can't keep the splint where it needs to be. So yesterday, I sold 4 poults. The youngest was probably 5-6 days old. I delivered them, they were fine. The woman called this morning to say one slipped a tendon during the night. Why? They were all perfectly fine and rowdy. I feed fermented, non GMO, soy free game bird starter. I keep them on shelf liner for several days before I put them on sand/paper towels in the big brooder. Any ideas? Anyone know how to fix slipped tendons? I won't be breeding the ones from my pair, they're for the freezer, but I'm not happy about culling babies.

I'll be upgrading my stock next year.

I hate to say it, but it's most likely either the genetics of your birds, or your diet, or possibly a combination of both.

The problem is that some of the "better quality ingredient" foods out there are made by small companies without a big research budget. People are attracted to the claim that they're made of ingredients that are better in some way, which of course is what we all want. The problem is that all these great ingredients aren't necessarily balanced properly. So the smaller companies that don't have the research budget to test their ingredients for specific vitamins, amino acids, etc could be producing an inadequate product without ever knowing it. I absolutely love and support the small, "high quality" companies, but I would never use their products as my sole ration, or even my major ration. I've just seen too many nutritional issues from those feeds. I mix those foods with diets from the major companies with a good track record. That strategy has worked well for me.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Heritage turkeys live to free range. I have multiple fences, with the tallest being 8 feet, which they viewed as mere hurtles in their path. When they were babies it was cute, then it became annoying, then it became outright dangerous. They were walking down the street, playing on the neighbor's roofs, and luckily my neighbor saw them before they crossed a busy street about 1/4 mile from my farm on their way to a local lake. The last straw was when all 7 of them were outside of their one acre yard walking along one of my interior fences. Then for no reason at all, they suddenly took flight right towards the street, almost flying into the mail carrier's vehicle. At that point I decided that they were just trouble looking for a place to land and determined to find it, so I had to trim their wings for their own safety. I hated to do it, but I figured that they were less likely to be injured on my property without full flight than off my property with full flight. I only trimmed the hens wings, as the toms just want to stay with the girls. and the almost blind hen wasn't trimmed. But the four ringleaders were controlled, and life became much easier. They still have a large area to range over and explore, so they're quite happy

 

[SilkieSensation]

My birds are in 4 ft fencing & no clipped wings. Occasionally 1 will hop the fence & then immediately start pacing trying to get back in. I usually hear her calling & just go open the gate & she walke right back in. The tom has never hopped but each hen has at least once. Now if the gate gets left open it's a whole other story! If they all walk out together (chickens, turkeys & call ducks in same pen) then they stay together in a couple big groups & begin to wander the yard. The turkey hens give the same call as when the accidently hop out though, so I still get alerted pretty quick that I have escapees.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

My 2 turkey's do the same. Hop up on a 5ft coop and over the fence. I laugh that they do it and then want back in.

I make em wait a little while to teach them a lesson, doesn't matter, they do it again. I let my ducks, chickens and turkey's all out at the same time when they free range. I let them out around 11am and put them to bed around 8pm. I have to wait till 11 so the chickens are mostly done laying their eggs or I can't find them later. lol

 

[SilkieSensation]

My 2 turkey's do the same. Hop up on a 5ft coop and over the fence. I laugh that they do it and then want back in.   I make em wait a little while to teach them a lesson, doesn't matter, they do it again. I let my ducks, chickens and turkey's all out at the same time when they free range. I let them out around 11am and put them to bed around 8pm. I have to wait till 11 so the chickens are mostly done laying their eggs or I can't find them later. lol  

I only free range my 6 anconas. Woods & a deep gully behind the house that I don't care to chase birds through. The ducks avoid the woods, so we're good there.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

I only free range my 6 anconas. Woods & a deep gully behind the house that I don't care to chase birds through. The ducks avoid the woods, so we're good there.

Yeah, don't think I would chase them through there either. Probably alot of predators too back there.

 

[SilkieSensation]

The coyotes are bad out here.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: X2 !!!

Quote: FIrst State is an online catalog company geared toward poultry. YOu can occassionally get a hold o the head fellow who is a whiz on birds. He is not a vet, but he knows more than the vets about birds.

I bought a vitamin pack from there, goes in to the water.

Feed the meat if that is all you have to start with-- meat is a great source of many vitamins, espcailly if it is grass fed.

 

[Arielle]

Update on hen-- or did I dream that I already did this? Hen is on 5ish eggs.

THe hens are going broody very fast around here: all the 1/2 auburns, 3 of the BR. I really am thinking that once I let one girl in a pen sit on eggs, the workd gets around and everyone needs to join in. Ihave two other pens in which the eggs are regularly picked up and NO broodies in those groups.

I wish I knew someone locally that I could trade turkey for beef. DO I dare say I'm getting tired of roasted turkey . . . maybe I need a few new recipes!!!!! Who's got a recipe????