Turkey Talk for 2014

[wild flocks]

My eggs have arrived but my incubator is arriving tomorrow so how do I store them and how long should I leave them at the most
Please help

put them in a warm area, they will be fine for a day good luck hatching

 

[sonderah]

give her a month i have a wild that is still not laying but last year she hatched out 11 pouts

She's still young, just hatched late last spring, so never laid b4. I figure if spring actually decides to stay around more than a day she may start. Lol

 

[wild flocks]

Quote: yearling hens are usually later laying than older hens and with the cold hot cold hot we are having

, she may be really late.

 

[K Epp]

My girl is tame enough to be picked up and she is the one to be the first to greet people when they come here. I am really hoping she will show up this morning when it is light out. This has me very upset and if that guy did take her, I will do everything I can to make him pay. My husband is going to pay him an unannounced visit today! Now will the others wander off to look for her? She is like the ring leader of the group.

Any luck? I had 3 bantam go missing at lock up one night a week or so ago. I checked on them the morning before work and there was no sign. When I got home that afternoon they cane runnig pitching a fit looking for their dinner.

 

[Momhunter]

Hatch update: 8 hatched as of 7 am then was able to watch #9 hatch. 3 more are pipped.
Will get pics at lunch.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Is she back yet? If not, go outside and listen really carefully. When turkey flocks get separated the hens tend to make a sharp call to the others so they can find each other. You might be able to hear her. The others probably won't leave to look for her unless they can hear her, so follow them if they start to wander off. Are there any wild turkey flocks around? If so, sometimes domestic hens will join a wild tom for a while, but usually the wild toms go to the domestic hens.

If she's not there this morning I wouldn't wait -- I'd get to the guy's house immediately. If he took her, then the longer he has her the more time he has to slaughter her. If she's still alive she might be calling out for her flock loudly, so you might be able to hear her. If your husband can't go this morning, you can call the sheriff to go with you. If you can't find her, be sure you check trash cans and compost piles and the back yard and especially his vehicle (including the trunk if he came in a car, or inside a bag if there's one in the vehicle) for feathers and poop and blood. Ask his employer or family members if there's anyone else's house where he might take her. If he's already killed her, don't request meat price or fair market value as payment. If she's tame then she's a pet -- have him arrested for animal cruelty, which is a felony in some states. Make sure that this situation is not treated any differently than if he stole and killed your dog. Despite some turkeys being food animals, others are tame and beloved pets, and there is no legal difference between a pet dog and a pet turkey in most states.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Thank you for posting this, Sonderah. It is much more important information than what I provided. All of us are vulnerable to periods of depression, and we get through it by supporting each other. I appreciate your candor. You are very uplifting.

 

[Arielle]

I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on poult raising for me. This is my 2nd year with poults. I raised 5 of 12 BBWs to processing (2 were deformed and processed early) and many of the ones that didn't make it were victims to deformities or the rat. I raised 2 out of 4 poults hatched from heritage breeds last year. I hatched but lost a single poult after that. This year, I bought those 20 surplus broad breasted poults from Meyer. Of course, I lost the first 4 (they sent 22, btw) because of shipping. A couple days after, I lost a few. A couple more days, a few more... I was down to 13. Then 3 more died... then just a couple days ago, 3 more died! I am down to 7 poults now. They are eating and drinking - I am checking their crops. The last 6 to die were running around, happy and healthy looking the day before they died. The whites are being pecked at, but they are not dying from that. I blu-koted them last week and the pecking stopped before the last 6 died.

They are in a 4x5 pen w/ a heat lamp about 2.5' off the floor. They are 3wks old now. I kept them on brown sugar water for their first 3 days - always warm water. Bedding is flake shavings. They are getting Dumor's 20% chick starter/grower and I am getting some angel wing.

I have a poult I hatched from my heritage BRs (father was the last owner's Narragansett) that's in with all my chicks and is now over a week old and doing well. Same food, no sugar and no warm water, same bedding and tighter living space.

I am getting disgusted. I can't hatch eggs and when I do, the poults mysteriously die. I don't think my hatching issues are bacteria or I'd be losing a lot of chicks, too. after my initial clearing of the infertile eggs, I am hatching at least 80% of the eggs left. Out of this last round of over 30 chicks, only 3 eggs didn't hatch. Not to be melodramatic, but I have been having a rough month and I am seriously considering just selling everything. I don't know if it's the depression setting in or how I really feel, but I have no interest in my birds right now. I have no interest in even getting out of my bed. These losses are not making things better.

Many of us have had bizzarre and unsettling issues with our birds. You are not alone. I had chicks dying left and right and unfortunately most died because I got the cure too late. BUt I learned from this and have not had deaths since. Also I know a fellow that cannot raise turkeys on his property-- they all die, and he is a very good poultryman.

I am worried that you are not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. Please get up and have a cup of what every your morning drink is and go stand in the sun for 10 minutes. I will always have to manage fall depression-- even 4 days of overcast cloudy weather makes the 4th day a struggle just to get thru it. Get a good multivitamin, extra vitamin D, and honestly while you care about these birds, they are NOT worth your wellbeing.

You will figure out wht is happening, but you cannot help the birds until you help yourself. ANd I mean this kindly. I feed myself before I feed my kids most of the time. I do it for me and for them.

THe poults don't have angelwing-- it is just a stage of growth. I had it h appen in my birds from Porters and he was able to tell me the look was normal, the wings go thru a funky stage then all falls into place.

You provided some info but could you answer afew more questions?

Is water softened water?
anything added to the water after day 3?
Turkey tudor ? Tuekeys do benefit from a lot of help finding food and water.
Feed spread out on napkins in several places-- mine dn't like feeders initally

FEed-- is it crumble or finer? Is it high protein-- 22% or higher. Is it commercially prepared or homemade??

Please take a deep breath-- we will help you.

Quote: Actually-- they need to be kept cool and upright. KEep them about 55-60 and stor up right to help air cells heal. IF temps are close to 85 the embyo starts growing very very slowly, not as it should at 100 degrees. Cool and moist because you don't know that that incubator will be working correectly and you might need more time. Good luck.

 

[Momhunter]

3 royal palm x blue slates and 7 royal palms

 

[Arielle]

THe cuteness!