Turkey Talk for 2014

[sonderah]

Blue slate crossed with royal palm will produce mostly black poults and a few of two different variants of blues that as they mature will develop mottling with white feathers scattered throughout.  My understanding that breeding back the mottled blues to the royal palm can produce blue palms.  That is also one of the expected outcomes from crossing the mottled blue poults with each other.

Cool thanks! So the black should stay black though?

 

[R2elk]

Blue slate crossed with royal palm will produce mostly black poults and a few of two different variants of blues that as they mature will develop mottling with white feathers scattered throughout. My understanding that breeding back the mottled blues to the royal palm can produce blue palms. That is also one of the expected outcomes from crossing the mottled blue poults with each other.
Originally Posted by sonderah


Cool thanks! So the black should stay black though?

Sorry, I don't know for sure but it is possible that they may also become mottled with white feathers throughout the black. I never kept any of the black poults to adults so can't say for sure..

 

[Sydney Acres]

My turkey babies have been back ordered to "sometime on April" due to some sort of problem at the hatchery. Anybody else? Grrrr.....

Which hatchery did you use?

 

[Sydney Acres]

I put my very 1st turkey eggs on lockdown this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I purchased a turkey hen last fall, then a tom just before spring, cause she started laying and I couldn't resist! I'm so nervous and excited at the same time. I can't wait to hear and see baby turkeys for the 1st time ever!! They are a mix of my blue slate hen and my RP tom, so who knows what they will look like. lol

Here's a link to the feather color genetics on the Porter's website: http://www.porterturkeys.com/feathercolorgenetics.htm. That will give you a good place to start. Then you can look through the various breeds where the color genetics are posted for each one, and there are some examples (toward the bottom of the menu) of various color crosses.

I've heard that there is also a turkey genetics thread on BYC, but don't know for sure.

You've never seen poults?!!! You're in for a treat. They're these amazing little balls of fuzz that love attention and will nuzzle for hours if you let them, and make the sweetest greeting sounds and puffs when you walk into the brooder room. Enjoy them -- they grow up so fast.

 

[R2elk]

Here's a link to the feather color genetics on the Porter's website: http://www.porterturkeys.com/feathercolorgenetics.htm. That will give you a good place to start. Then you can look through the various breeds where the color genetics are posted for each one, and there are some examples (toward the bottom of the menu) of various color crosses.

I've heard that there is also a turkey genetics thread on BYC, but don't know for sure.

There is a turkey genetics thread on BYC.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/541598/turkey-color-genetics-lessons

I got my Blue Slate/Royal Palm cross information by personal experience. For the past 5 years I had been crossing a Blue Slate tom on Royal Palm hens until last year when I used a self blue tom on the Royal Palm hens. That breeding eliminated all the little black poults that I was getting. Last fall a woman decided she wanted the Royal Palm hens more than I did so now I only have a self blue tom on Blue Slate hens which should produce half self blues and half blue slates and no blacks.

 

[sonderah]

Thanks everyone for the info! Got my 1st pip a bit early, end of day 18, so guess I'll be adjusting some temps, but I should also get to snuggle with some cuties soon!!

Edited to say; oops, can u tell I'm used to chicken eggs?? Lol End of day 25!!

 

[hogster160]

We lost our turkey hen today. Tom wanted to mate, she didn't, he didn't care, cornered her got her down and proceeded to try. He slipped and ripped her open but good as she still was trying to get away. Had them separated, he flew over the fence I'm guessing. And now that I'm thinking about it, he probably got on his roost and jumped over the fence.

We decided to cull her as her whole left side was open under her wing. It also looked like I missed a puncture from when he did this earlier in the week, as she had infection in the right wing/chest area. She also had some blood clotting internally, so we opted not to put her in the freezer. She was getting ready to lay, she had 6 large eggs all lined up ready to pop out and lots of little ones.

She weighed in at 36 lbs dead weight, with a decent amount of fatty tissue. I really didn't think she was that large. I'm guessing I did have BBB after all. Tom is huge and after this latest escapade, is now limping. He will be culled in the next couple of days. I'm scared to see how much he weighs.

If I ever get turkeys again, it will be from a breeder. No more hatchery. Tom was not a very nice bird. Hoping to have better luck with the "nasty" bred out of them.

Deb

 

[DaisyMeadow]

We lost our turkey hen today.

Sorry to hear about your hen. We had one get attacked by a coyote earlier this week and are trying to keep her separated from the tom so he doesn't reinjure the back skin. It's not a fun business.

 

[DaisyMeadow]

Went down to feed the birds this evening and found this hanging out with our royal palms. I think it's a girl, but beyond that, I'm not sure what it is. She's quite tall and big bodied, stands above my other turkeys and geese. Looks very dark from the front, but has different colors in the tail. She looks way bigger and darker than the wild ones around here, for sure. Any guesses?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

We lost our turkey hen today. Tom wanted to mate, she didn't, he didn't care, cornered her got her down and proceeded to try. He slipped and ripped her open but good as she still was trying to get away. Had them separated, he flew over the fence I'm guessing. And now that I'm thinking about it, he probably got on his roost and jumped over the fence.

We decided to cull her as her whole left side was open under her wing. It also looked like I missed a puncture from when he did this earlier in the week, as she had infection in the right wing/chest area. She also had some blood clotting internally, so we opted not to put her in the freezer. She was getting ready to lay, she had 6 large eggs all lined up ready to pop out and lots of little ones.

She weighed in at 36 lbs dead weight, with a decent amount of fatty tissue. I really didn't think she was that large. I'm guessing I did have BBB after all. Tom is huge and after this latest escapade, is now limping. He will be culled in the next couple of days. I'm scared to see how much he weighs.

If I ever get turkeys again, it will be from a breeder. No more hatchery. Tom was not a very nice bird. Hoping to have better luck with the "nasty" bred out of them.

Deb

I am so sorry.

Went down to feed the birds this evening and found this hanging out with our royal palms. I think it's a girl, but beyond that, I'm not sure what it is. She's quite tall and big bodied, stands above my other turkeys and geese. Looks very dark from the front, but has different colors in the tail. She looks way bigger and darker than the wild ones around here, for sure. Any guesses?

Wow quite stunning! But looks jake to me, how lucky!