Turkey Talk for 2014

[SilkieSensation]

I'm going to be starting out with hatching eggs in about a month.  A friend of mine is giving some to me (IDK how many, but she already has turkeys.
I guess I do have a few questions:
I already have a small flock of chickens, which I'm going to be increasing (and going to have to increase housing for).
My basic plan is to have a laying flock, a brooding flock, and my son is starting waiting for chicks to hatch to start his own flock (so we'll have three, maybe more later, flocks of chickens with three separate coops).
All my flocks (not DS's, at least at first, but his might ultimately) free range together.

Can the turkeys free range with the all the chickens?
I have children as young as 4 years old; what should I tell them about the turkeys and how to act/behave around them?
What can I reasonably expect if they don't listen to me?  (what can I tell them the consequences are as far as the turkeys go?)
How different is keeping turkeys from keeping chickens?

I copied the questions from the original post; I'll answer as best I can:
1. Are you prepared for Turkey season for 2014? [COLOR=800080]Kind of; I have an incubator, brooder, and juvenile pen; I need to build a turkey house (coop?); if I can't free range, I'll have to build a pen.[/COLOR]

2. When do your hens start laying eggs? [COLOR=800080]IDK, but I'm looking forward to eggs.  Wondering what the difference is between turkey eggs and chicken eggs.[/COLOR]

3. What breeds do you plan on raising for 2014? [COLOR=800080]Chocolate, I think.[/COLOR]

4. What is your current Tom/Hen Ratio? [COLOR=800080]0/0; I would keep one tom for fertile eggs.  What should it be, approximately?[/COLOR]

5. How many poults do you plan on hatching? [COLOR=800080]IDK; I guess something like three to six, at least.[/COLOR]

6. Did you order any poults from other hatcheries?  If so, what hatchery, what breed and how many are you expecting?

7. Are you ordering turkey eggs from someone? If so, how many?

8. Will you be using an incubator to hatch your turkey eggs? [COLOR=800080]Yes, unless someone can give me advice on using a broody chicken to hatch them.  And what's the broody rate on turkeys?[/COLOR]

9. Do you want your hens to go broody so that they can hatch eggs? [COLOR=800080]I'd like that!!![/COLOR]

10. Will you be selling eggs and/or poults? [COLOR=800080]IDK; we'll see.[/COLOR]

11. What are your feed plans for 2014? [COLOR=800080]IDK; would should I be feeding them?[/COLOR] Anyone trying fermented feed for their flock? [COLOR=800080]If I can get it going right, then yes, but I can't get chicken pellets/crumbles, even "natural" ones to ferment, they just go bad when I soak them longer than overnight.[/COLOR]

12. Do you have your housing ready for your poults and turkeys? [COLOR=800080]No, what should I include?[/COLOR]

13. How many turkeys will you be processing for your freezer for 2014? [COLOR=800080]At least one; I was only intending to raise our Thanksgiving turkey, but it appears that I'm now going to start keeping turkeys.[/COLOR]

14. What did you do this year that you want to do different next year (2014)? [COLOR=800080]Have turkeys instead of not having turkeys.[/COLOR]

 

My children go in the pens with all of my birds. My turkeys are penned with chickens, ducks & geese for the winter. The only real difference between chickens is size. A turkey can reach a child's face much easier. Turkey hens can also fly. It's much easier to accidently get a wing or claw to the face.

 

[DraigAthar]

Can the turkeys free range with the all the chickens?
I have children as young as 4 years old; what should I tell them about the turkeys and how to act/behave around them?
What can I reasonably expect if they don't listen to me? (what can I tell them the consequences are as far as the turkeys go?)
How different is keeping turkeys from keeping chickens?

My two turkeys live in the same coop as my chickens. I know there's a concern about chickens giving turkeys blackhead, but I had to risk it as my chickens have been everywhere on my property, so no where has been chicken-free long enough to provide a place truly safe for preventing blackhead transmission. That said, we've had no illness, so it's possible I got lucky and my chickens simply aren't carriers for the disease. But I do know it's a true risk, if your chickens are carriers, young turkeys will get it and you will suffer losses.

I can't comment on what to tell your kids, I don't have kids and I don't have young kids visiting my poultry yard, so we never really deal with that. I can tell you that my two turkeys care not one whit for humans. The hen will come just close enough to take treats, and the tom seems completely oblivious and always moves pretty slowly because he's more concerned about strutting than anything else. Neither of them have even been even remotely aggressive. But even turkeys are individuals, so I imagine you'll have to see how yours do. Someone else mentioned how it's easier to get smacked with a wing, and that's definitely true. I had to go in the coop once to grab a chicken, and she happened to be sitting on the roost next to the tom turkey. Grabbing her startled him, and he flapped his wings in surprise. One wing caught me right in the face, that woke me up!!! Knocked my glasses clear across the coop, haha.

As for different from chickens - I find them VERY similar to keeping chickens, in my limited experience. They seem to appreciate being allowed to range more. My chickens love to get out and roam around pasture when the weather is nice, but if it's rainy or snowy they stay in all day. But the turkeys want to come out every day, no matter the weather. But they eat, drink, roost, forage, and lay eggs pretty much what/where/how the chickens do. Of course, I keep midget whites, so they are smaller than most turkeys and it's probably easier for me to think of them just as big chickens, haha.

 

[Ardizzone7]

My turkeys are very gentle. You won't have any trouble with your kids. They will be more inclined to run away from them than to peck and scratch if teased. You will need to be careful of them being at eye level of your kids. They are very curious and might peck at a moving eyeball. They don't do it out of anger or anything. They just want to figure out what it is.

Turkey poults are more fragile for the first few weeks. Your kids will need to be extra gentle when handling them. Once they get feathered, your kids will love them! The turkeys will follow you around like puppies.

For feed they need a 28% protein.

 

[SilkieSensation]

My turkeys are very gentle. You won't have any trouble with your kids. They will be more inclined to run away from them than to peck and scratch if teased. You will need to be careful of them being at eye level of your kids. They are very curious and might peck at a moving eyeball. They don't do it out of anger or anything. They just want to figure out what it is.

Turkey poults are more fragile for the first few weeks. Your kids will need to be extra gentle when handling them. Once they get feathered, your kids will love them! The turkeys will follow you around like puppies.

For feed they need a 28% protein.

28% protien is more for meat turkeys. 20-24% is fine for growing poults. Once they reach laying age 16-18% layer is fine.

 

[chicken pickin]

28% is ideal for any growing poult. The only time I offer lower protein is if I am brooding poults and chicks together and then I do a 22%.

 

[SilkieSensation]

28% is ideal for any growing poult. The only time I offer lower protein is if I am brooding poults and chicks together and then I do a 22%.

True, but my poults are always in with chicks.

 

[Arielle]

I don't feed more than 22% because I can't get it. My poults and chicks do just fine. Even my BBW grew very fast on the 22% and was happy with the supersized roasts.

Children-- I am always very cautious about children and animals. Even my children are not left alone with dogs. As far as poultry, my youngest was 7 when we bought chicks. ANd were able to defend themselves witha stick when rooster attacked.

With a four year old, constant supervision would be my comfort level. THat is the value of coops-- keeping the kids and birds separated.

( I"ve never had a turkey attack any of us, but their beaks give a sharp peck when they nudge my hands it HURTS. Attacking rooster is GONE. ANd kids can play one again with out carrying sticks 100% of the time.)

 

[R2elk]

Originally Posted by TeaChick

Can the turkeys free range with the all the chickens?

How different is keeping turkeys from keeping chickens?

2. When do your hens start laying eggs? IDK, but I'm looking forward to eggs. Wondering what the difference is between turkey eggs and chicken eggs.

4. What is your current Tom/Hen Ratio? 0/0; I would keep one tom for fertile eggs. What should it be, approximately?

5. How many poults do you plan on hatching? IDK; I guess something like three to six, at least.

8. Will you be using an incubator to hatch your turkey eggs? Yes, unless someone can give me advice on using a broody chicken to hatch them. And what's the broody rate on turkeys?

When your chicken goes broody just replace her eggs with turkey eggs. I gave a bantam hen one turkey egg but she probably could have managed three. Last year I gave my cornish hen 6 turkey eggs and she handled them well. Just remember that they will take 28 days to hatch instead of 21 days. In my experience the broody rate for turkey hens is 100%. They prefer to build up a clutch of 10 to 15 eggs before going broody but can go broody on just one egg or well over 2 dozen eggs.

Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[Arielle]

To reduce the chances of the hens going broody, collect the eggs everyday. Keeps the girls focued on laying. Not a 100% effective measure, but it sure helps.

 

[TeaChick]

I don't feed more than 22% because I can't get it. My poults and chicks do just fine. Even my BBW grew very fast on the 22% and was happy with the supersized roasts.

Children-- I am always very cautious about children and animals. Even my children are not left alone with dogs. As far as poultry, my youngest was 7 when we bought chicks. ANd were able to defend themselves witha stick when rooster attacked.

With a four year old, constant supervision would be my comfort level. THat is the value of coops-- keeping the kids and birds separated.

( I"ve never had a turkey attack any of us, but their beaks give a sharp peck when they nudge my hands it HURTS. Attacking rooster is GONE. ANd kids can play one again with out carrying sticks 100% of the time.)

Yes, we are cautious with our kids around the chickens and the dogs.
Everyone "free ranges" around the yard, but I keep an eye on everything and my older kids are much older than my youngest, so they supervise him too.
I got "nudged" by a hen while she was laying (I was reaching to check under her for eggs, b/c she was taking forever, and it didn't feel good; I imagine the larger beak of a turkey would feel even less good.).
Yes, I would get rid of an aggressive rooster ASAP!!!
Thanks for the warnings and advice! =)

My turkeys are very gentle. You won't have any trouble with your kids. They will be more inclined to run away from them than to peck and scratch if teased. You will need to be careful of them being at eye level of your kids. They are very curious and might peck at a moving eyeball. They don't do it out of anger or anything. They just want to figure out what it is.

Turkey poults are more fragile for the first few weeks. Your kids will need to be extra gentle when handling them. Once they get feathered, your kids will love them! The turkeys will follow you around like puppies.

For feed they need a 28% protein.

Thank you very much!!!
My kids won't handle the poults (as with the chicks) until they're feathered out, but they do enjoy going to the brooder, pen, etc. and talking to them or throwing them treats.
They will have fun leading the turkeys all over the yard. lol
28% protein, got it. Thank you! =)

My two turkeys live in the same coop as my chickens. I know there's a concern about chickens giving turkeys blackhead, but I had to risk it as my chickens have been everywhere on my property, so no where has been chicken-free long enough to provide a place truly safe for preventing blackhead transmission. That said, we've had no illness, so it's possible I got lucky and my chickens simply aren't carriers for the disease. But I do know it's a true risk, if your chickens are carriers, young turkeys will get it and you will suffer losses.

I can't comment on what to tell your kids, I don't have kids and I don't have young kids visiting my poultry yard, so we never really deal with that. I can tell you that my two turkeys care not one whit for humans. The hen will come just close enough to take treats, and the tom seems completely oblivious and always moves pretty slowly because he's more concerned about strutting than anything else. Neither of them have even been even remotely aggressive. But even turkeys are individuals, so I imagine you'll have to see how yours do. Someone else mentioned how it's easier to get smacked with a wing, and that's definitely true. I had to go in the coop once to grab a chicken, and she happened to be sitting on the roost next to the tom turkey. Grabbing her startled him, and he flapped his wings in surprise. One wing caught me right in the face, that woke me up!!! Knocked my glasses clear across the coop, haha.

As for different from chickens - I find them VERY similar to keeping chickens, in my limited experience. They seem to appreciate being allowed to range more. My chickens love to get out and roam around pasture when the weather is nice, but if it's rainy or snowy they stay in all day. But the turkeys want to come out every day, no matter the weather. But they eat, drink, roost, forage, and lay eggs pretty much what/where/how the chickens do. Of course, I keep midget whites, so they are smaller than most turkeys and it's probably easier for me to think of them just as big chickens, haha.

Thank you. This is very helpful!!!
On a side note: my chickens go ranging around the yard no matter what the weather (they're weird that way; I've read others say theirs do what you said), mine seem to prefer the rain and we don't get snow.
Thanks again!!! =)

My children go in the pens with all of my birds. My turkeys are penned with chickens, ducks & geese for the winter. The only real difference between chickens is size. A turkey can reach a child's face much easier. Turkey hens can also fly. It's much easier to accidently get a wing or claw to the face.

Okay, thank you!
So, same "rules" of respecting turkeys, just like the chickens. They're pretty, they might eat out of your hand, but you must be careful, quiet, and watchful around them.
Thanks! =)