Turkey Talk for 2014

[Chad Cool]

Glad I found this Page!

 

[Arielle]

Glad I found this Page!

Welcome! Do you have turkeys??

 

[Chad Cool]

Welcome! Do you have turkeys??

Not Yet but I want some so bad. I want some for Meat. Any advise would help. I have 5 acers and a lot of Chickens.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Read thru the Turkeys for 2013 thread---Several turkey options from the broad breasted to heritage. Heritage vary in size and color from the midgets to the hollands . Both were commercially designed so are white. Do you have a local supply??

 

[Chad Cool]

Read thru the Turkeys for 2013 thread---Several turkey options from the broad breasted to heritage. Heritage  vary in size and color from the midgets to the hollands . Both were commercially  designed so are white.  Do you have a local supply??

No local supply I was thinking of getting from a hatchery?

 

[Arielle]

Quote: How much money you have to work with is also a consideration. IF y ou want to try a fewBBW or BBB, start calling your local farm supply store and aski if they will be selling poults in spring/summer. THese area about $5-7 each , than all the feed they will eat. THe good part is you can buy just a few. In Mass minumim of 6 is by law. THe push is to not have them as pets and reduce the number of people that buy them on a whim. THese stores do not usually carry heritage stock,w hich usually runs 10-15$ each.

Porters has variety packs for order right now. If you get the purebreds you can see a wonderful variety of colors. Please note that the APA birds have a history that is far richer than their color--old varieties that breed true.

If you want to try hatching eggs, a few people on this thread sell hatching eggs. My suggestion is start with poults. If you want them gone by winter get the BBW/BBB. If you want to keep allyear long go for heritage. And read the old thread- very good info to help you make a decision.

 

[hdmax]

Goats???? Yikes!! THey are a challenge-- I have sheep-- not as smart as goats. Thank goodness. I have enough to do without dealing with clever goats. lol I suspect the old timers wintered over the breeding stock only.

Good basic mix-- I'm still stuck as my mill mixes a min of 3 tons for custom mix.

When you mix this with water, sorry I keep asking this-- how do you feed it without everyone trampling thru it and dumping this wonderful mix on the ground?

I built troughs with roofs over them, so no getting into the feed. chicks and turkeys that are a few weeks old can get in the feed, but it is high enough that they have a very hard time getting up there, so it is rare.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Now I get it--- sounds like a good design.

 

[GotCoop]

Skip, I have mobile enclosure that I drag around the pasture where they spend the night and during the day when I'm at work. I let them out on "supervised free-range" when I'm home (mostly to keep them from wondering off to the neighbors or up to our home. They will readily follow me back into the enclosure in the evening...but left to themselves they will find somewhere else to roost for the night.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I'm thinking about making tractors for my birds this spring. I would love to be able to move them around to avoid the muddy mess that always results in a stationary pen.