Turkey Talk for 2014

[duluthralphie]

I would love to have a good hunting type lab-- around here I can only find bench dogs. I found one breeder that mixes both types but I didn't get a reply to my email. So no go. I am still determined to have another lab but of the field dog type.

I don't do hyper. lol

I do have concerns about bird dogs, like a chessie, around all these live chickens, ducks and turkeys. My rotties never touched a bird in my house or out in the yard. ( Anything in their yard was fair game. I have jumped out a first story window to make sure the dogs maintain the stay command until I could get the young turkeys out of their pen. lol)

"Leave it" is the best command ever.

With labs you are forced to endure "hyper" for about 2 years, every lab I have had has been a pain until 2 years old, when it is like a switch goes off and they become the worlds perfect dog.

 

[AmericanMom]

I agree, the leaned pallet is also the number one nest spot for my hens, on occasion they will use the outside nestbox.

I have three BR's, One Tom (or Jake, he is almost 9 Mo) and two Hens (Jennies, same age as Tom) One of the hens has started to squat on a daily basis, but not for the Tom lol, only for me.. If I go out she will come running but stop a few feet away, Tom is all puffed up trying to impress her but its only when I step twords her that she goes down, of course I back right off and he does his job (or he attempts too, looks like after a few min the parts connect and its over rather quickly then) The other hen that has yet to squat gets all bothered and fluffs up and tries to "dominate" the hen that just was serviced, Its actually quit interesting to watch.. The hen that doesn't squat will rub all over the male even trying to walk under him, but she wont squat yet.. I know not to really start looking for eggs for a while longer but I did set up a couple crates in the new coop addition and I will go out this weekend and set up some crates against the back property and I also have large dog crates. I'm so excited to see the first egg!

 

[chicken pickin]

Two young Toms are off to the freezer today, along with a young cockerel. So glad to get a little more meat in the freezer but a little bummed to see the cockerel go, he was a good boy.

My hens went on alert when I was taking the toms out of the pen this morn. They got frantic. It always make me a little sad to see they get upset when something is happening to their flock mates. Chickens don't seem to show the same behavior(though they may feel it).

 

[chickadoodles]

Two young Toms are off to the freezer today, along with a young cockerel. So glad to get a little more meat in the freezer but a little bummed to see the cockerel go, he was a good boy.

My hens went on alert when I was taking the toms out of the pen this morn. They got frantic. It always make me a little sad to see they get upset when something is happening to their flock mates. Chickens don't seem to show the same behavior(though they may feel it).

I agree totally! When we take any out of any of the pens they all go crazy making all kinds of noises. Even if I just move a couple to another pen. Some of the hens will stop laying for days! So I think they do feel the loss.

 

[racinchickins]

Quote: I don't think it is so much responding to loss as responding to any change from the norm. When I move or remove a few, mine will call to try and re-establish the flock, but it only lasts for a short time. As for not laying, mine will stop laying for a few days for something as simple as a change to a new feeder or waterer. They are very suspicious of the new thing that looks kind of like the old thing, but not exactly. Not like my chickens, they don't seem to care at all. I think the turkeys like to use them as guinea pigs. If the new thing doesn't kill the chicken, then maybe it's okay.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I don't think it is so much responding to loss as responding to any change from the norm. When I move or remove a few, mine will call to try and re-establish the flock, but it only lasts for a short time. As for not laying, mine will stop laying for a few days for something as simple as a change to a new feeder or waterer. They are very suspicious of the new thing that looks kind of like the old thing, but not exactly. Not like my chickens, they don't seem to care at all. I think the turkeys like to use them as guinea pigs. If the new thing doesn't kill the chicken, then maybe it's okay.
I guess they are more leery of changes.

I have a tom that is doing the mating dance and ceramony on the hens back and he tore her side. It is just barely skinned (like a skinned knee) so I have been pouring some iodine on it. But I have been candling her eggs from the first one she laid and none are fertile. How long do you think it will take him to get the hang of this mating thing?
I guess I am going to get some vet wrap and put some padding on her back and then wrap her with some vet wrap to keep her safe after she heals up.
Right now I had to run a piece of wire fence between them to keep him from further damaging her side.

 

[racinchickins]

Quote: I don't think it is so much responding to loss as responding to any change from the norm. When I move or remove a few, mine will call to try and re-establish the flock, but it only lasts for a short time. As for not laying, mine will stop laying for a few days for something as simple as a change to a new feeder or waterer. They are very suspicious of the new thing that looks kind of like the old thing, but not exactly. Not like my chickens, they don't seem to care at all. I think the turkeys like to use them as guinea pigs. If the new thing doesn't kill the chicken, then maybe it's okay.
I guess they are more leery of changes.

I have a tom that is doing the mating dance and ceramony on the hens back and he tore her side. It is just barely skinned (like a skinned knee) so I have been pouring some iodine on it. But I have been candling her eggs from the first one she laid and none are fertile. How long do you think it will take him to get the hang of this mating thing?
I guess I am going to get some vet wrap and put some padding on her back and then wrap her with some vet wrap to keep her safe after she heals up.
Right now I had to run a piece of wire fence between them to keep him from further damaging her side.
Last year, I had 3 or 4 weeks of infertile eggs before I started getting fertile ones. That is my only experience with turkey eggs so far, so that is all I can tell you.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I don't think it is so much responding to loss as responding to any change from the norm. When I move or remove a few, mine will call to try and re-establish the flock, but it only lasts for a short time. As for not laying, mine will stop laying for a few days for something as simple as a change to a new feeder or waterer. They are very suspicious of the new thing that looks kind of like the old thing, but not exactly. Not like my chickens, they don't seem to care at all. I think the turkeys like to use them as guinea pigs. If the new thing doesn't kill the chicken, then maybe it's okay.
I guess they are more leery of changes.

I have a tom that is doing the mating dance and ceramony on the hens back and he tore her side. It is just barely skinned (like a skinned knee) so I have been pouring some iodine on it. But I have been candling her eggs from the first one she laid and none are fertile. How long do you think it will take him to get the hang of this mating thing?
I guess I am going to get some vet wrap and put some padding on her back and then wrap her with some vet wrap to keep her safe after she heals up.
Right now I had to run a piece of wire fence between them to keep him from further damaging her side.
Last year, I had 3 or 4 weeks of infertile eggs before I started getting fertile ones. That is my only experience with turkey eggs so far, so that is all I can tell you.
Thanks, I hope she is not to large for him to get the job done. lol

 

[chknoodles]

You can order a large saddle made of canvas off of either Amazon or E-bay to put on your hen. I think they are even waterproof.

 

[chickadoodles]

You can order a large saddle made of canvas off of either Amazon or E-bay to put on your hen. I think they are even waterproof.

I looked on ebay and on face book my hen is 18" long by 24" wide to keep her from getting tore up and I even asked a couple ladies if they would make me one. No luck. Thanks though.