The first thing to do is to check your state laws. Most states have specific laws pertaining to the ownership of wild turkeys. Rios are considered wild turkeys. In my state a G&F permit is required to own wild turkeys.
Turkey Talk for 2014
- Thread starter kuntrygirl
- Start date
The first thing to do is to check your state laws. Most states have specific laws pertaining to the ownership of wild turkeys. Rios are considered wild turkeys. In my state a G&F permit is required to own wild turkeys.
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate all help given.
What is the recommended ratio for Tom and hens on domestic turkeys
I just read the first page. This site is solely about getting you to buy his book. He recommends choosing wild turkeys over domestic turkeys without any suggestion that you need to know your individual state's laws regarding wild turkeys as most states have specific regulations regarding wild turkeys.
He infers that it is cheaper to raise your own thanksgiving turkey. It is true that a properly home raised turkey is far better eating than any supermarket turkey you can get. However there is no way possible to raise a turkey to eating size cheaper than you can buy a supermarket turkey. Supermarket turkeys are sold for less than they cost the stores to bring them in. They are referred to as a loss leader since they are used to bring customers to the store in the well founded hope that the amount lost on the turkey sale will be more than offset by the other purchases made during the same shopping trip.
Based on what little that I read, I would expect many more inaccuracies and would not recommend anyone to purchase the advertised book.
I find mine to do very well with 4 to 5 hens to one tom.
I now have only one tom and two hens, I had two toms and two hens and it was monday night fights, on a daily basis.
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Interesting. I looked into native woodland forages for my goats last year and found that there is a huge difference in nutritional value between types of shrubs/forage as well as the conditions it's grown in, and even the season they eat it. Very area specific. You'd have to bring a sample in to be tested (much like hay) to know exactly what your getting nutrition-wise month-to-month. Guessing turkey forage would be similar.
I've seen my turkeys gobbling up (pun intended) all kinds of acorns, grasses, seeds and berries in our woods.
Since native plants can vary widely from state to state, this link from NHs DEC might be useful to our area: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Wildlife_profiles/profile_wild_turkey.htm
It's Eastern wild turkey specific, but might provide some insight into what kinds of non-invasive forage that would do well in our climate.
Would like to hear what else you find out.
I've seen my turkeys gobbling up (pun intended) all kinds of acorns, grasses, seeds and berries in our woods.
Since native plants can vary widely from state to state, this link from NHs DEC might be useful to our area: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Wildlife_profiles/profile_wild_turkey.htm
It's Eastern wild turkey specific, but might provide some insight into what kinds of non-invasive forage that would do well in our climate.
Would like to hear what else you find out.
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I've been digging on and off for a year--- the first obstacle seems to be how much to "improve" the location. Most of the information was based on a complete overhaul of the land, including herbicides, discing , liming, fertilizing, blah blah blah. Sigh. lol Eventually I fell across silvaculture and the combo of a tree stand and grasses/legumes.
One of my most supportive sites was and is SugarMtFarm.com in VT that raises hogs on grasses primarily. It took hours and days of reading to peice his program together. BUt the basics were cut trees to open an area and broad cast seed a huge variety including the traditional and the nontraditional. Like beets and vegetable crops. He is on a high mtn in VT-- not that different from us.
His goal is a large pasture of huge variety and has some trees and bushes as well. THe sows like to have the babies in the protected areas out on pasture. He runs chickens too, the eggs going to the piglets for extra protein.
Seems to be a good cycle or web of production. That even he says continues to evolve as to which foraging seeds to plant. For example he does a pumpkin patch-- easy for the pigs to get into. but for my chickens, a hatchet or a boy is necessary to get it brocken open for consumption.
One big lesson I have learned after having horse on the land for many years is that the soil needs to be protected. It is easy to have it wash away once the root structure from the unwanted plants ( trees) are gone, but the more delicate plants cannot hold up to the horses.
Fencing and controled access seems to be another part. ( I have a head ache now. lol)
One of my most supportive sites was and is SugarMtFarm.com in VT that raises hogs on grasses primarily. It took hours and days of reading to peice his program together. BUt the basics were cut trees to open an area and broad cast seed a huge variety including the traditional and the nontraditional. Like beets and vegetable crops. He is on a high mtn in VT-- not that different from us.
His goal is a large pasture of huge variety and has some trees and bushes as well. THe sows like to have the babies in the protected areas out on pasture. He runs chickens too, the eggs going to the piglets for extra protein.
Seems to be a good cycle or web of production. That even he says continues to evolve as to which foraging seeds to plant. For example he does a pumpkin patch-- easy for the pigs to get into. but for my chickens, a hatchet or a boy is necessary to get it brocken open for consumption.
One big lesson I have learned after having horse on the land for many years is that the soil needs to be protected. It is easy to have it wash away once the root structure from the unwanted plants ( trees) are gone, but the more delicate plants cannot hold up to the horses.
Fencing and controled access seems to be another part. ( I have a head ache now. lol)
One tom can service up to about 20 hens... most people keep more toms than that though.. and will keep extras just in case something happens to their main one
The problems usually arise when you have way too many toms in too small of a pen.. that's when fighting can get pretty bad.. in that case you either need more hens and a larger pen.. send excess boys to freezer camp or move the extra boys to a bachelor pen
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