Turkey Talk for 2014

[AmericanMom]

Ok, I'll check the air cells in two days and mark them, hopefully I can get a picture also and post.. I have wanted Turkeys for so long I don't want to mess this up

So I candled last night and I still have a hard time with most of the air cells, I just cant see very well!! The goose eggs I have no trouble seeing, can I look at the goose eggs and determine if its on track for the Turkey eggs or should I see something completely different as far as what the air cell should look like.. Here is a couple pics I took of a goose egg last night.... also, I haven't added any water nor have I ran the humidifier and the reading is between 46-50

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Sounds like perfect turkey habitation-- and chickens too! Have you thought of using electric netting which is very easy to set upand move in a grassland area-- use solar panels for power.

Quote: haahaaaa-- I agree, not much difference, but then most of my stock came from the same source so reflects that persons selection for temeprament. Porters = calm.

Awesome! Thanks Yinepu, I will start investigating! Does anyone really worry about coyotes and turkeys? I know they can fly pretty well and roost in trees but I'm sure a coyote could sneak up on one if it tried really hard. Any horror stories I should know about?

Yup--always a worry. Have coyote, fox, raccoon and hawks. . . and domestic dogs!! lol Cats stalk the chickens but it is just a game. lol
Raccoon started killing last fall, so we were careful to lock up everyone out of reach--

IN the summer my turkey young'uns perch on the wood pile supports ( horizontal 2 x 4) but are at risk as theya re only 5 feet off the ground. Deterents are well worth investing in--best for wild creatures to never have success.

We have physically chased out coyote and fox-- sure wish I had a video camera record those episodes!!!! Son raced at a coyote brandishing a baseball bat and screaming--- I was thankful the coyote had its dinner and was running away. PUt up a short 3 foot fence and not more coyote--too much trouble to jump the fence-- any chickens that hop to the other side are long gone. Coyote walk that fenceline!!

Quote: DId I miss where you candle or weight the eggs for moisture loss??

Yinpu maybe onto something when suggesting a thorough cleaning of incubator.

I have at times also washed the eggs, and carefully dipped in warm diluted bleach water. Perhaps after cleaning the incubator, washing the eggs would be helpful.

Hi everyone. I live in austin texas and have been looking for fertile turkey eggs with now luck. Does anybody have any they are willing to sell? I am hatching for a friend of the family's... does not matter on breed.

After this week I have bourbon reds, and sweetgrass, and two pens of mixed breeds, or an a pen of 3/4 Auburns ( Pure Male on 1/2 female)

THe mixed a a hoot: one pen is mostly young sweetgrass ( took out the BR male, dang it, I thought it was a girl as it didn't display) and another pen of a little of everything (mix, Narrigansetts, BR and Auburn)

Sent me a pm if interested.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: My horses tolerate the turkeys and the chickens . . .grumpy faces at the SS hens that steal right from under the horses nose though . . . she scoots before getting bit. OTher mare known for attacking dogs will make grumpy faces and only sometimes can a bird steal from her-- she doesn't bite them though. I think dogs = coyote for her, as a brood mare she has had foals to protect-- very protective momma horse.

 

[Arielle]

Is there any non-broad breasted breed of turkey that is ready for processing for the holidays, Nov/Dec, when hatched in the spring of the same year???

Of course you can hatch now and process in the fall, as close to the holiday as possible. ( IF you use a butcher, be sure to schedule a date by end of summer as they get overbook in the fall).

THe longer you can grow them out the more meat for sure. Realize they won't be super meaty like the BBW/BBB. THey are slow food.

As stewards of turkeys we should all be considering improving the breeds we have. Selecting for improved weights and improving rate of gain to suit our individual feeding situations.

BBW taste just as good to me as a heritage.

 

[Arielle]

BUtchered a young male Sundya morning-- ver frustated as it behaved like a hen and will all male SG in the pen I knew I had all pure SG eggs (when I removed the non-SG females) but NOOOOOOOO he had to be a he-- now it will be several weeks before those eggs are pure SG.

I'm definitely cutting back on the number of birds to overwinter next year. Envision a turkey dinner every SUnday . . . maybe everyother Sunday . . . lol

 

[austinbndr28]

This morning a fox killed my tom named Turk. R.I.P. buddy.

 

[chicken pickin]

This morning a fox killed my tom named Turk. R.I.P. buddy.

Oh No!!! That's awful

So Sorry for your loss

He was beautiful.

 

[celestialdreamer]

Hi there, hope it's ok to jump in here. We currently have a breeding trio of Bourbon Reds, with one of the hens sitting on our last couple fertile eggs and then also 2 surviving 1 month old poults from 10 eggs we had incubated. Ours are just hatchery stock and while they have nice flavor...the hens were only 9lbs at 11 months. Pretty disappointed in them turning out so small. We butchered some recently and they had loads of fat on them but were just really small overall. I think we will be trying out Blue Slates this year instead. One of our Bourbon red hens "Squeaky" will be staying with our laying hens (no Blackhead here at all, so we run them together) as she became my 8 year old son's beloved pet. He adores the turkeys! I'm curious if anyone else has found Bourbon Reds to end up so tiny even when fed well. Also I would love to know if Blue Slates tend to be as friendly as the BR.

I added a pic of my son with his "Squeaky" girl. You can tell the affection is mutual!

 

[Sydney Acres]

This morning a fox killed my tom named Turk. R.I.P. buddy.

Oh austinbndr28, I'm so sorry. What a horrible morning for you.

 

[Arielle]

Hi there, hope it's ok to jump in here. We currently have a breeding trio of Bourbon Reds, with one of the hens sitting on our last couple fertile eggs and then also 2 surviving 1 month old poults from 10 eggs we had incubated. Ours are just hatchery stock and while they have nice flavor...the hens were only 9lbs at 11 months. Pretty disappointed in them turning out so small. We butchered some recently and they had loads of fat on them but were just really small overall. I think we will be trying out Blue Slates this year instead. One of our Bourbon red hens "Squeaky" will be staying with our laying hens (no Blackhead here at all, so we run them together) as she became my 8 year old son's beloved pet. He adores the turkeys! I'm curious if anyone else has found Bourbon Reds to end up so tiny even when fed well. Also I would love to know if Blue Slates tend to be as friendly as the BR.

I added a pic of my son with his "Squeaky" girl. You can tell the affection is mutual!

Precious!!

You are welcome to just jump in-- all are welcome.

My BR are much heavier-- enough that I seem to confuse young males with adult females. lol

For the sake of education-- where did you get your strain??

Squeaky!! Love it, we have a ktty with that name because he never stops squeaking!!