Turkey Talk for 2014

[ladybead]

Thanks for letting me know @chickadoodles We are getting our Australorps on Saturday, from what I understand they are good layers, and we are not getting our turkeys until March. I have zero experience with turkeys and have always been intimidated by them, hopefully it will be different when they are raised by me. Rose

 

[ladybead]

 

[chickadoodles]

Your welcome ladybead. Don't let turkey scare you. I handle mine like most would a puppy or kitten and they love it turkey are very sociable and love the contact with you. I have people come that just want to pet or hand feed my turkey and are amazed at how gentle they are.
They are what you make of them. Just give them lots of attention so you will be able to handle them easily without and resistance!

 

[chicken pickin]

Your welcome ladybead. Don't let turkey scare you. I handle mine like most would a puppy or kitten and they love it turkey are very sociable and love the contact with you. I have people come that just want to pet or hand feed my turkey and are amazed at how gentle they are.
They are what you make of them. Just give them lots of attention so you will be able to handle them easily without and resistance!

X2 I agree with this. This is exactly how my turkeys are. I handled them all since they were day olds so they are very used to people and are overly friendly. I refer to them as being very puppy like in personality.

 

[duluthralphie]

I gave my turkey hen some baby chicks to raise last spring. Which she did great at, the chickens still hang with the turkeys more than the other chickens. She even kept laying eggs while raising the chickens which I coud hatch. I know that is not suppose to happen, but it did. I got about 5 eggs a week while she raised the chickens.

 

[ladybead]

I thought you had to keep turkeys and chickens separate Rose

 

[duluthralphie]

You run the risk of getting blackhead in the turkeys. However, if you do not have it in your area you may not get it. Also keeping the worms down in the birds helps from what I have read.

ACV and Cayenne pepper can help prevent it. If you are into meds and drugs you can de-worm the chickens also. I live on very sandy soil. It is always dry. Wet heavy soils have more problems with it.

 

[ladybead]

I live in the High Desert so it is very dry here, back in the 1940's and 1950's they had many many turkey farms out here, so I think we will do well with turkey. What is ACV and how do you give them cayenne pepper? Rose

 

[duluthralphie]

I mix the pepper into the feed and ACV is apple cider vinegar which goes in their water. The theory from what I understand of it is making the gut of the chicken so miserable the worms cannot live there. I also live in a place where the poop freezes solid for 6 months of the year, which might help.

I have only had turkeys for a year, but I have had chickens the entire time I had turkeys. I knew going into it there was a chance of blackhead. I own the same farm I grew up on in the 50s, MY folks had turkeys and chickens together with no problem. There was an old veterinarian that owned a turkey farm about 2 miles from us and he had turkeys and chickens. He swore by giving the turkeys vodka. I would guess it was the same theory killing or driving the worms from the gut.

 

[ladybead]

I mix the pepper into the feed and ACV is apple cider vinegar which goes in their water. The theory from what I understand of it is making the gut of the chicken so miserable the worms cannot live there. I also live in a place where the poop freezes solid for 6 months of the year, which might help.

I have only had turkeys for a year, but I have had chickens the entire time I had turkeys. I knew going into it there was a chance of blackhead. I own the same farm I grew up on in the 50s, MY folks had turkeys and chickens together with no problem. There was an old veterinarian that owned a turkey farm about 2 miles from us and he had turkeys and chickens. He swore by giving the turkeys vodka. I would guess it was the same theory killing or driving the worms from the gut.

Thank you very much for your help. That is funny that they would drink vodka. I can't wait to get my chicks this weekend, we are not getting our turkeys for about 3 weeks.