Turkey Talk for 2014

[uphilljill]

X2. They learn a lot by watching what you show interest in. Even food.

 

[uphilljill]

Your barn (and turkey) are beautiful.  Can't wait to rebuild mine!

That looks like a lot of water, just waiting.  Yesterday my 8 month old turkeys and chickens felt hail for the first time.  It was a relatively nice day and they were out grazing when I heard them gobbling and alerting and running around frantically.  I assumed a coyote was outside the fence, so I grabbed my rifle and ran outside.  The hail had just started, and was picking up speed.  No coyote, but they were terrified that they were being attacked with pea-sized ice rocks!  They calmed down when I kneeled down and petted them, but then when they weren't afraid anymore they all wanted to check out the rifle, so had to go back inside.  Could just imagine the sheriff's report on that one! 

I can see it. Mine are like that as well. They are so curious. Lol

And thanks!

 

[sonderah]

Oh my good gracious! So, my hen started laying while everyone was locked up because of MAJOR freezing going on. When I released them, she stopped laying in the coop. I stalked her one day and found she had made a nest just in the woods. So, I've checked there every afternoon for over a week, and found an egg only once. And she doesn't seem to hang out in that area much anymore. How on Earth do people find eggs of free rangers??? Do I have to just wait and see if she goes broody and hunt her down then?

 

[JWEBB]

Well my first homemade turkeybator is working really nicely!! I used a 48 quart rubbermaid and Rush lanes pattern.. a 40 watt and a 25 watt, GQF wafer and two thermostats- hygrometers and one bulb thermometer inside.. so I can see whats really happening in there. I ran it empty for a day and the GQF wafer is a godsend. Old computer fan out of one of my dead puters.. It held temps 100-101 all day once it got warmed up. Its raining today and the humidity in the bator is up to 58%. dont need to add water for petes sake. Opened a plug hole.

I can see why its said be patient and let your eggs warm up after you put them in!! It did take a while and I resisted the urge to crank it up. I was thinking HURRY UP ALREADY LOL. And yes it was true as I read when you first start to warm your eggs up the humidity goes way up!! never saw any condensation and it went back down to 50's.

I have 11 Royal Palm eggs in we had a dozen but one was really poopy and dirty so I opened that one to check fertility.. yep it had a little "germ". The 4 Blue Slate eggs arrived yesterday morning and in good shape, all the way from Illinois and the heat pack was still warm thru the box! with my bonus 3 White Ameracuana eggs, Those are pretty blue eggs!. I thought later what a good idea since I don't have chickens yet. The turkey will have some baby chicks to teach them to eat. "If" we get hatch. I HOPE.

My husband got me a Hovabator with the egg turner, its coming in the mail! This time I am using the coolbator and propping up one side then the other for my turning so I don't have to open the door.

 

[Hounds51]

Well my first homemade turkeybator is working really nicely!! I used a 48 quart rubbermaid and Rush lanes pattern.. a 40 watt and a 25 watt, GQF wafer and two thermostats- hygrometers and one bulb thermometer inside.. so I can see whats really happening in there. I ran it empty for a day and the GQF wafer is a godsend. Old computer fan out of one of my dead puters.. It held temps 100-101 all day once it got warmed up. Its raining today and the humidity in the bator is up to 58%. dont need to add water for petes sake. Opened a plug hole. 

I can see why its said be patient and let your eggs warm up after you put them in!! It did take a while and I resisted the urge to crank it up. I was thinking HURRY UP ALREADY LOL. And yes it was true as I read when you first start to warm your eggs up the humidity goes way up!! never saw any condensation and it went back down to 50's. 

I have 11 Royal Palm eggs in we had a dozen but one was really poopy and dirty so I opened that one to check fertility.. yep it had a little "germ". The 4 Blue Slate eggs arrived yesterday morning and in good shape, all the way from Illinois and the heat pack was still warm thru the box!  with my bonus 3 White Ameracuana eggs, Those are pretty blue eggs!. I thought later what a good idea since I don't have chickens yet. The turkey will have some baby chicks to teach them to eat. "If" we get hatch. I HOPE. 

My husband got me a Hovabator with the egg turner, its coming in the mail!  This time I am using the coolbator and propping up one side then the other for my turning so I don't have to open the door. 

Cool! Let us know the homemade turkeybator works out.
I am thinking about making one of them.

 

[RockerHen]

Oh my good gracious! So, my hen started laying while everyone was locked up because of MAJOR freezing going on. When I released them, she stopped laying in the coop. I stalked her one day and found she had made a nest just in the woods. So, I've checked there every afternoon for over a week, and found an egg only once. And she doesn't seem to hang out in that area much anymore. How on Earth do people find eggs of free rangers??? Do I have to just wait and see if she goes broody and hunt her down then?

Over the years I've gotten a feel for the areas my chickens and now my turkeys like to nest in, so at least I have a general idea of where to look. They love, love, love tangled vine/briar patches. It's a bit of an egg hunt every time a new nest is made, though. Whenever you find a nest, leave at least one egg in the nest after you gather them, so she will return to the spot and continue laying. Most likely, if she comes back to her nest and finds it completely ransacked and empty, she'll find a different, even more secluded place to lay.

 

[chickadoodles]

Congrats on your new bator I wish you luck on your RP eggs hatch!

 

[sonderah]

Over the years I've gotten a feel for the areas my chickens and now my turkeys like to nest in, so at least I have a general idea of where to look. They love, love, love tangled vine/briar patches. It's a bit of an egg hunt every time a new nest is made, though. Whenever you find a nest, leave at least one egg in the nest after you gather them, so she will return to the spot and continue laying. Most likely, if she comes back to her nest and finds it completely ransacked and empty, she'll find a different, even more secluded place to lay. 

I found a new spot yesterday afternoon, but it only had 1 egg in it, & as long as it has been, idk if its the newest nest or not. Lol I had already taken it before reading these replies, & I never saw her go that direction yesterday. So, before I let them out this morning, I went and put it back. Just incase. Lol Idk. Guess I will just stop looking unless I actually see her go somewhere specific again. I wish we could pen them for awhile, at least so I could get enough eggs to incubate, but we r already in the process of building coop number 2 for some bantams I have in the bator, so hubby may kill me if I ask.

 

[JWEBB]

Cool! Let us know the homemade turkeybator works out.
I am thinking about making one of them.

It really wasn't too hard once I really looked at the video as I went along. I just did step by step and stopped the video while did one part then went back to it. My husband was very impressed LOL.
I think making one helped me understand more about incubation! Its day three with eggs in and after stablizing its holding to 6 tenths of a degree up and down steady. The humidity I will have to really watch later, its coming down now but man it was like a rainforest in there with no water added.

 

[JWEBB]

I had been saving them up and eating them slowly. The last 10 or so eggs I claimed and my family was not to eat them. I take care of the animals so I can claim my fav eggs right lol. My hens laid their very last egg about 2 weeks ago.

wow so happy to see turkey eggs are eaten! I've never tried one but I sure will at some point!