Turkey Talk for 2014

[AmericanMom]

Ok, new question, In preparation for incubating turkeys I also want to add some chicken eggs, I know I have heard to add them a week after turkeys because they will then hatch together, but if the humidity for the turkeys (and geese) has to be so high 80 or higher wouldn't that kill the chicks who don't need it that high... My humidity was around 70 for my last hatch of chicken eggs during lockdown and a lot of them drowned. I am picking up the first round of turkey eggs Sunday along with 6 goose eggs she is giving me, I haven't decided yet whether I'll hold them for a few days to get a few more or go ahead and incubate then.

 

[Corny Caleb]

So my BR hen laid her first egg ever today. I want her to hatch a clutch on her own , but I was wondering if I should take the first egg and crack it open to see if it's fertile. (And hopefully the following ones.) She has mated a bunch of times with one of my toms. Should I just leave the egg and see what happens?

 

[chicken pickin]

TURKEY EEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Found my FIRST one of the season(well 2 but one was shell-less)

Im saving mine up for the CInco De Mayo hatch

 

[yinepu]

Ok, new question, In preparation for incubating turkeys I also want to add some chicken eggs, I know I have heard to add them a week after turkeys because they will then hatch together, but if the humidity for the turkeys (and geese) has to be so high 80 or higher wouldn't that kill the chicks who don't need it that high... My humidity was around 70 for my last hatch of chicken eggs during lockdown and a lot of them drowned. I am picking up the first round of turkey eggs Sunday along with 6 goose eggs she is giving me, I haven't decided yet whether I'll hold them for a few days to get a few more or go ahead and incubate then.

they do NOT drown from HATCH humidity being high...

if you have chicks that drown in the shell it's because INCUBATION humidity was too high


.. if their air cells are on track... the only way for them to drown at hatch is if you drop them in a dish of water while they are hatching.. otherwise hatch humidity has no effect on chicks drowning

 

[Momhunter]

I am in no way disagreeing with Momhunter. However, I was told recently that someone else had been told to give the BBW chick starter. I said I had not heard of such a thing. Then I read my "protein content" in my turkey and game bird starter. It said it was 22%. The grower said 20%. So now I am confused.

I'm just going off of what I have researched and the types of feed my feed store carries. My chick starter is 18%, turkey starter is purina brand that is 26%, while the purina game bird startena that I feed my quail and peachicks is 30%. And yes I keep all three for the different birds. I also raise Jersey Giant chickens, which I feed regular chick starter for the first 4 weeks then mix 50/50 with the turkey starter for a higher protein since they are giants. They all seem to grow well without having any leg issues with to fast of growth.

 

[R2elk]

I am in no way disagreeing with Momhunter. However, I was told recently that someone else had been told to give the BBW chick starter. I said I had not heard of such a thing. Then I read my "protein content" in my turkey and game bird starter. It said it was 22%. The grower said 20%. So now I am confused.

I would like to know what the brand name of your turkey and game bird starter is. Any outfit selling 22% protein as turkey and game bird starter is ripping people off. Meat bird complete is 22% protein. My turkey starter is 26% protein and game bird starter is typically 28% to 30% protein.

Your turkey grower at 20% protein is fine.

The thought behind using chick starter for BBWs is some people feel it will slow their growth and therefore help their legs develop before they have too much body weight to support. I would recommend that if you are going to try this that you don't switch to chick starter until they are two weeks old. The other part of this is just how high is the protein in the chick starter? The chick starter that I use is 20% protein. I have found chick starter that is only 16% protein and that from a supposedly reputable company. I would not feed nor would I recommend that anyone feed 16% chick starter to turkey poults.

 

[AmericanMom]

they do NOT drown from HATCH humidity being high...

if you have chicks that drown in the shell it's because INCUBATION humidity was too high


.. if their air cells are on track... the only way for them to drown at hatch is if you drop them in a dish of water while they are hatching.. otherwise hatch humidity has no effect on chicks drowning

Ok, that makes sense.. So proceed as planned, put the chicken eggs in 5-7 days after the turkey eggs and sit back and wait

Thanks!

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
yuppers!... and ya gotta keep us updated with what all you end up tossing in that incubator!

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
we can't get turkey starter here.. have to use the game bird starter.. if I remember right it's somewhere between 26 and 28%
our layer pellets run 20%
chick starter is 20 to 22% depending on the brand
and chick grower is 16 to 18% depending on brand

so yeah.. there is a big difference between the types of feed

 

[AmericanMom]

yuppers!... and ya gotta keep us updated with what all you end up tossing in that incubator!

I will for sure... Not so sure I am going to put them in Sunday, may wait a few more days to let her Turkeys provide me more eggs? I would like to incubate 2 dozen to give myself the best possible chance of getting at least 10.. She just started saving them I think Monday or Tuesday so I know I can wait into next week.