Turkey Talk for 2014

[chickadoodles]

First Heritage BR egg TODAY!!!!! Of course infertile... Thats ok.
At least I know know the hen lays! He was NOT happy for me messing in the nest but they are confined.
My 2 younger BR are not laying yet, oldest poult was june, then august for the 2nd.
I have fake eggs, leave one take one... He was sure drumming and gobbling, I told him... pretty boy!!!!
ETA: SQWeeeeeeeel!! So excited to finally see her lay!!!!!

You'll be hatching before you know it.

 

[austinbndr28]

He is very handsome!
Congrats they are beautiful!

Thank you.

 

[pawtraitart]

Some of my midget whites.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Well I had my first bad hatch on my Bourbon Reds, only 2 out of 12 made it. 2 were a no go when candled, 3 were a no go when moved to hatcher and only 4 tried to hatch but only 2 made it. Was probable the cold weather. Wouldn't you know it I had a customer wanting all of the to.

 

[JWEBB]

Well I had my first bad hatch on my Bourbon Reds, only 2 out of 12 made it. 2 were a no go when candled, 3 were a no go when moved to hatcher and only 4 tried to hatch but only 2 made it. Was probable the cold weather. Wouldn't you know it I had a customer wanting all of the to.

Ikno! the weather has been hard on everything.

I'm down to 7 of my 12 original RP eggs. One week to hatch we'll see what I end up with.

 

[pawtraitart]

The first eggs of the season can be weak because of the cold. It's finally starting to warm up around here so I'm going to set some eggs this week. I'm excited to see turkey poults again. They are so cute.

 

[WillowJ]

I am brand new to raising poultry, but I'm catching up pretty quickly. We have three Narragansett turkeys which include two hens (we lost a third hen last month) and a tom. We also have two RP hens having lost two toms last year. One was to a predator, the other to a mystery illness.

All of these birds will be a year old next month (April) and we'd like to breed the Narragansetts, but we'd like to have at least four more hens and would like to increase the flock size of the RP's. We're also very interested in showing these birds, in particular the Royal Palms

If anyone has any suggestions and/or information on where to buy chicks or eggs, I'd love to hear from you.

We're located near southern New Hampshire.

 

[chicken pickin]

Hi neighbor. I am in southern NH also. I raise Bourbon Reds.

If you keep an eye on Craigslist some will eventually be posted. Dodge Grain in Salem also carries heritage turkey poults though they may not be show quality, you could call them and ask if they will be getting some in.

If your lucky someone here on this thread will have some and be selling eggs.

Good luck in your search.

 

[WillowJ]

Thank you! I visited Craigslist this morning...I'm just amazed at how many people just post 'Turkeys and Chickens for sale' without even mentioning breed. Oh well, I am very new to this.

Thanks again for the tips!

I just phoned Dodge Grain and they will have heritage poults available at the end of May. I couldn't be happier

Thanks again!

 

[Sydney Acres]

I am brand new to raising poultry, but I'm catching up pretty quickly. We have three Narragansett turkeys which include two hens (we lost a third hen last month) and a tom. We also have two RP hens having lost two toms last year. One was to a predator, the other to a mystery illness.

All of these birds will be a year old next month (April) and we'd like to breed the Narragansetts, but we'd like to have at least four more hens and would like to increase the flock size of the RP's. We're also very interested in showing these birds, in particular the Royal Palms

If anyone has any suggestions and/or information on where to buy chicks or eggs, I'd love to hear from you.

We're located near southern New Hampshire.

Since you're looking to show, be sure you know what show quality birds are supposed to look like. I'm not trying to be snide or sarcastic, but most people don't know the details at the beginning, and breeding show quality birds takes a lot of attention to detail. So spend some time educating yourself on the difference between a show quality bird and just a nice bird. Most birds that will be available will be nice birds, but may not be a good start to a show quality flock. Starting with the wrong birds can set your breeding program back years.

Also, make sure the birds you get really are purebred, as opposed to just look purebred. Turkey color genetics are fairly complicated, and you can have birds that look like a pure Narragansett or a pure Royal Palm, but are actually mixed breeds. Still beautiful birds, but won't breed true. That can take even an experienced breeder years to sort through all the recessive genes that show up at random times for generations to come. So be sure you start with birds from a reputable breeder of purebred stock, and that will save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

There are numerous dedicated breeders out there that breed to the APA Standard of Perfection, but finding them isn't always easy. For local breeders, contact the APA for a breeders list. If you find someone, ask to see their show history. No show history doesn't mean they don't have good birds, but it will require more judgment on your part to know for sure. Successful show history (at major shows) means they have the capacity to breed good birds, but doesn't guarantee that the poults you get from them will be show quality, as not all birds with great parents will turn out to be great birds. But it does substantially raise your odds. Expect to pay more for these birds, which is fair, because careful breeding is not easy or cheap, and you will be getting a huge head start on your breeding program if you start with good quality stock.

You may also be able to find local breeders through a breed-specific club.

Going to shows can be a great way to find breeders, and you can also see how the judges evaluate the birds of that particular breeder. Some of the birds at shows will also be for sale.

Many small breeders do ship eggs, but few are set up to ship poults, so that does somewhat limit your options. If you use shipped eggs, remember that shipping decreases hatch rate, so order twice as many as you would for non-shipped eggs, assuming you have the space for a better than expected hatch.

There are a few good hatcheries and large breeders out there that ship poults or eggs. Consider Duane Urch (http://standardbreedpoultry.com/breeder/Duane UrchUrch-Turnland Poultry/190), Porter's Turkeys (http://www.porterturkeys.com/, they also have great information about color genetics on their website), Frank Reese (http://www.goodshepherdpoultryranch.com/contactus.html, he doesn't advertise on his website that he sells poults or eggs, but I've been told he still does have certain breeds and will sell them if asked, and he is one of the all-time great turkey breeders), and Country Hatchery (http://www.countryhatchery.net/, which is said to have Frank Reese's line for some of their birds, so you'd need to ask about where your chosen breed originated). I'm sure there are others also, but this gives you a starting place.

Since you're interested in show birds, consider getting your birds from an NPIP breeder or hatchery, which gives you extra protection from bringing certain diseases into your flock.

Good luck with your future flock.
--April