Turkey Talk for 2014

[chickadoodles]

Chickadoodles, thank you for all your information. I hope to find a good Dark Cornish breeder by spring at least. I plan to stick with Beltsvilles but according to whats going on spring 2015 i may try some Standard Bronze too.

Sounds good! I got bourbon reds and standard bronze that should be breeding by spring at least they are from C.H.

 

[chickadoodles]

Here are 3 of my 4 Sweet Grass poults from Arielle

 

[Pretty Chickens]

I have no idea if they are harmful or not. I am interested to know what popular landscape plants are harmful to chickens too.

I read in one website that they had poison, but I keep looking and cant find any more information. I have some seeds and wanted to plant them and now I wont plant them until I'm sure.

 

[gevshiba]

It sounds like you have it covered for the year. I had to put my Broad Breasted turkey on a diet! Till I find someone to take them they are going on 6 months and they are huge!

I, luckily, never had that problem with my BBB's. They never gorged themselves. The only one that had leg problems was one that a friend took and raised. The hens were too sweet and friendly though, I got attached.

 

[dheltzel]

Hi I have a question. I want to plant lupine Russell flowers. Are they bad for mu chickens?

Lupines are most definitely toxic to humans, so I would not put them where anything would be likely to eat them. Our turkeys sample everything and kill every bit of green in their run. Their favorites are dandelions and clover. I used to hate dandelions, now when I see a healthy one growing, I harvest it carefully, not disturbing the crown so it regrows quickly. 2 turkey hens eat dandelions from my hand now, that's why I cherish them now.

 

[Pretty Chickens]

Lupines are most definitely toxic to humans, so I would not put them where anything would be likely to eat them. Our turkeys sample everything and kill every bit of green in their run. Their favorites are dandelions and clover. I used to hate dandelions, now when I see a healthy one growing, I harvest it carefully, not disturbing the crown so it regrows quickly. 2 turkey hens eat dandelions from my hand now, that's why I cherish them now.

Thank you so much. I will not plant the seeds, I would be afraid that they can take a bit and die. Although I'm going to find some dandelions seeds. That they can eat.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: My hen is very sweet and I have gotten attached to them all and I don't want to get them so large they break a leg so I am trying to head that off by limiting their food intake.
My turkey are all so gentle they will eat out of my hand.

 

[desertmarcy]

Among other breeds, I have Lilac and Red Slate turkeys. They are related genetically, so I bred my only Red Slate hen as well as my Lilac hens to my Lilac tom this year to save pen space. Decided I wanted to add another hen to that breeding group since one of the Lilac poults I kept turned out to be a hen. So I kept watching her, and something about her color just didn't look right. She has these light barring lines going across her tail and my Lilacs didn't have that. So I thought, well she has to be a Red Slate then, since that breeding produces only those two colors, Lilac and Red Slate. Finally took photos and sent to Kevin, asked which one, and he said NEITHER, she is a Blue Red Bronze. WHAT???? Well after numerous photos and emails, got it all straightened out. One of the Red Slate poults I got last year, the one that turned out to be a hen that I bred to my Lilac, was actually a Blue Red Bronze, sent by mistake since they look so much alike as poults. The only difference is the addition of one red gene. Now I have two, the mother and daughter, and would like to set up another breeding pen for them with my other Lilac tom next year because they are really pretty. But out of pen space right now...what to do, what to do. Here is this year's Blue Red Bronze hen, I think she is lovely:

 

[CherMoz]

Among other breeds, I have Lilac and Red Slate turkeys. They are related genetically, so I bred my only Red Slate hen as well as my Lilac hens to my Lilac tom this year to save pen space. Decided I wanted to add another hen to that breeding group since one of the Lilac poults I kept turned out to be a hen. So I kept watching her, and something about her color just didn't look right. She has these light barring lines going across her tail and my Lilacs didn't have that. So I thought, well she has to be a Red Slate then, since that breeding produces only those two colors, Lilac and Red Slate. Finally took photos and sent to Kevin, asked which one, and he said NEITHER, she is a Blue Red Bronze. WHAT???? Well after numerous photos and emails, got it all straightened out. One of the Red Slate poults I got last year, the one that turned out to be a hen that I bred to my Lilac, was actually a Blue Red Bronze, sent by mistake since they look so much alike as poults. The only difference is the addition of one red gene. Now I have two, the mother and daughter, and would like to set up another breeding pen for them with my other Lilac tom next year because they are really pretty. But out of pen space right now...what to do, what to do. Here is this year's Blue Red Bronze hen, I think she is lovely:

She is beautiful!!

 

[TattooedMama]

Here are 3 of my 4 Sweet Grass poults from Arielle

So Jealous, I miss my babies =(