Turkey Talk for 2014

[chicken pickin]

we only started with 4 shipped in feedstore babies last july
one fell over dead after a couple months (not sure why)
that left us with 1 runt & the pair we have now
the runt just never got any real size to her
once it turned cold that was it for her
maybe it's for the best
no point in breeding a substandard bird
we intend to keep a couple more females &
maybe a backup male for our small turkey flock this year

What kind of turkeys is your pair?

 

[RockerHen]

Does anyone know why my toms could be losing their feathers on the bottom of their breast/belly? I don't notice them laying down a lot (they're not broad breasted or anything, they're royal palm mixes). They look huge in the picture, but they're fluffed out, making them look bigger than they are. You can kind of see the missing patches in the picture. Other than that, they're perfectly healthy/happy boys. They do nothing but strut, gobble, and spar all day. The white one seems to be the only one who gets to mate, as he is the dominant one. He also has a double beard, his second beard is just protruding above his main beard. Maybe his manly beards impress the ladies more than the bronze boy's! The poor bronze guy just has to stand to the side and watch as the white one gets all of the ladies. Each day is now a constant struggle with broody turkey hens. Each day, I have to walk across the street and bring home not one, but two turkey girls, most of the time who are only on one egg. Crazy hens. As of right now, I have 8 of their eggs shared underneath 2 broody silkies and 1 broody silkie mix.

 

[TeaChick]

Scrying with a pendulum.. like a crystal on the end of a necklace chain.. it can really be anything though. Basically in a nutshell- it works on the premise that we already know everything and are all connected etc. you hold your pendulum, ask the question, watch it swing.....swing one way means yes, another way means no. some people use a "maybe" answer too.. its very accurate for some people. Like the water witches that find spots to drill wells using willow branches or brass rods.

Very interesting.
Sounds like putting the wedding band of a pregnant woman on a chain or string and holding it over her belly to find out whether the baby's a girl or boy.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Does anyone know why my toms could be losing their feathers on the bottom of their breast/belly? I don't notice them laying down a lot (they're not broad breasted or anything, they're royal palm mixes). They look huge in the picture, but they're fluffed out, making them look bigger than they are. You can kind of see the missing patches in the picture. Other than that, they're perfectly healthy/happy boys. They do nothing but strut, gobble, and spar all day. The white one seems to be the only one who gets to mate, as he is the dominant one. He also has a double beard, his second beard is just protruding above his main beard. Maybe his manly beards impress the ladies more than the bronze boy's! The poor bronze guy just has to stand to the side and watch as the white one gets all of the ladies. Each day is now a constant struggle with broody turkey hens. Each day, I have to walk across the street and bring home not one, but two turkey girls, most of the time who are only on one egg. Crazy hens. As of right now, I have 8 of their eggs shared underneath 2 broody silkies and 1 broody silkie mix.

Are there any wounds or any other abnormalities to the skin where the feathers are missing? If the two toms are sparring all the time, the feathers may have been pulled out during their tussles.

 

[Alaskan Dragonfly]

I'm planning on raising a few turkeys this year..... do they do well with just one or two, or do they do better when raised as a larger flock?

 

[racinchickins]

I'm planning on raising a few turkeys this year..... do they do well with just one or two, or do they do better when raised as a larger flock?

I'd say you should get at least two. They are flock birds that won't do well alone.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I'm planning on raising a few turkeys this year..... do they do well with just one or two, or do they do better when raised as a larger flock?

They will do best if there's at least two, as they like to hang out together. If you only want one and have other birds to keep it company (such as chickens), then it would probably do fine also, as long as it wasn't a single turkey hen in with a bunch of cockerels. (Check with your county ag extension office to see if Blackhead disease is in your area before mixing turkeys and chickens.) They should not be raised as a solitary bird, as they need a flock bond to feel secure. But the flock doesn't have to be huge. I like to keep a minimum of three birds together, so that if one dies the remaining bird isn't by itself.

 

[OffGridMAMA]

My three ladies and the new hubby

 

[Reyvaughn]

I found 3 Bourbon Red hens that were hatched last spring for sale 2hrs from me on CL. I hope they are still available. I need some girls for my poor, lonely tom! They are only $25 each, so they are well worth the 2hr trip!
I made an order for 20 surplus Broad Breasted turkeys (bronze and white mix) through Meyer. They should be here March 25-27th.

 

[JWEBB]

My three ladies and the new hubby

Hello handsome!