Turkey Talk for 2014

[WeatheredWings]

She is so gorgeous!! Congratulations on your healthy poults!! I've got my fingers crossed right now that the ones I have in the bator hatch alright next week.

Thank you and good luck to you! Happy hatching!

 

[chickadoodles]

My hen just hatched 4 Sweet Grass turkey poults from Arielle! I am so excited I am ready to bust!

In the front corner is one poult that just hatched and is still wet.

 

[chicken pickin]

My hen just hatched 4 Sweet Grass turkey poults from Arielle! I am so excited I am ready to bust!

In the front corner is one poult that just hatched and is still wet.

Congrats!!!!!

YAY for Sweetgrass poults!!!

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thanks! I tried several times last year to hatch some of these and low and behold they just needed a momma! lol

 

[Sydney Acres]

Thanks! I tried several times last year to hatch some of these and low and behold they just needed a momma! lol

Incubators may allow for higher numbers (ok, hugely higher numbers), but there is absolutely no substitute for a good broody hen in regards to hatch rate, chick/poult vigor, and temperament of the adult that was hatched and especially raised by a broody. My broody incubated/raised chicks hatch early, feather out sooner, grow quicker, and are more mentally balanced (i.e., significantly less anxiety, able to handle stress better, less aggressive, etc) than my incubator incubated and brooder raised chicks. I currently have some 10, 20, and 30 day old chicks with broodies, and every one of them looks 5-10 days older. I use my incubator only for the chicks that I need to hatch out in pedigree cages, and don't start incubation until I have a broody hen that has started. The moment the chicks hatch and are half way dry they're leg banded and put under a broody. The stress level of the chick immediately drops. It's amazing to see the difference. There are 13 chicks that are 20 days old with the same broody. Five of those hatched out under the hen, and 8 of those where hatched out in the incubator because they were from multiple different hens and needed pedigree identification before being put with the broody. During the first week there wasn't much of a difference, but since then there is a noticeable difference in the temperament between the five broody hatched and the 8 incubator hatched. And it's not genetic. Two of the four hens that the incubator hatched chicks came from are calmer and tamer than the hen whose chicks were broody hatched. But even the 8 incubator hatched chicks handle stress and learn behaviors and routines faster than brooder raised chicks.

We may be able to hatch them out and keep them alive, but there is no substitute for a good broody hen (not a crazy or irresponsible or homicidal broody, but a good broody).

 

[redneck farmer]

I am in need of some serious help. I raised my first turkey ever a Bruad Breasted Bronze hen for thanksgiving last year. Well that turkey was the best turkey I could of had for a first bird. Very tame and I could even pick her up and hold her like a chicken. This year I decided to raise 5 royal plam turkeys for FFA and so I can show them at the fairs and festivals in my state. My FFA advisor found me some royal palm poults and we went and bought them from a local backyard breeder. I had set up a brooder (in a livestock trailer) using everything I learned a turkey needs from my previous bird. Within the 2nd week I lost a royal palm poult. (It look like it had deformities an I thought it might pass away so I made sure it was conforatble till it's time of passing) Then I had to go on a short vacation and I made arrangements for some of my fellow FFA members to care for my birds. They took care of them good except they put in a "prank" bronze poult in with my poults that was 1 to 2 weeks older than my 2 week old poults. That thing beat the snot out of my poor royal palm poults and when I got back I was like "WHAT THE?!?" So now I have 4 injured poults and one healthy bronze. I removed the bronzes after trying to get it to be nice but It just wouldn't and now I'm back with my 4 royal palm poults but now they are all beat up. Now their injuries that the bronze did to my royal palms are only on the face around the eyes and nose. The royal palms body and legs could not look better. Their injuries are scabing over witch is a good sign but one poult is not doing so well. It looks like swelling everywhere where there is a cut from the bronze. I don't know how to get the swelling to go down or if it's a infection or not. They have ACV in the water and are feed turkey poult starter. Along with some outside time when they eat grass an bugs. They are 4 and 1/2 weeks old today. Plus I'm having a hard time handling these birds becuase there is four of them and its hard to keep track of witch one I've been handling. Any help or advice is appreciated. I will post pictuers of my poult later so y'all can see them. Thankyou.

Here is the pictuer of my poor poult that has the worst swelling

 

[TattooedMama]

My hen just hatched 4 Sweet Grass turkey poults from Arielle! I am so excited I am ready to bust!

In the front corner is one poult that just hatched and is still wet.

Woohoo!!! Congrats!!

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thanks Sydney
I have really enjoyed watching them with her today. I am so happy that I finally got some of Arielle's Sweetgrass to hatch. I knew it was me and not her eggs. But I think they hatched early also. They should have hatched tomorrow. lol I cannot wait to see how they will be be twards me compared to my others I raised. I am sure they will be more vigorous and healthier.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: Thank you!

 

[BullChick]

Today the BR managed to bounce the gate to the run enough that the latch came undone. Four out of five poults walked out before the door shut on the fifth. Despite that I have spent very little time with these turkeys (they are now 13 weeks) they had no fear of me as I herded them into their coop. I was also impressed to see one of the boys display for me. I had not seen them do it yet. Actually, the BBW only began displaying for me a week or so ago. Before that, he would only do it when strangers were around.
Fast forward several hours. I had been about to shower when the neighbor came over to inform me about the turkeys. So after getting them settled in their pen, I showered. Three hours later I did it again (I had a hair treatment in) and then immediately went out to collect eggs from the chickens. I saw the BR needed water, but in the shadows, I didn't notice the "dirt" in the base of the waterer. I was holding the waterer against my chest as I went to screw the base back on... And more liquid fertilizer than the base should have been able to hold rained down on me. So, back into the house, and I had to get past two eager dogs (they were wondering where I went! You know dogs.

) without touching them or letting them touch me. After a third shower, I am kinda clean. I had to walk the dogs, and I am convinced that the grass is filled with slugs out to kill me.