Turkey Talk for 2014

[AmericanMom]

1 turkey egg has external pip.

Yay!!!

The two turkeys were first to hatch, woke up this morning to three chickens hatched and one starting to zip, no pips from the other three turkeys and there are two more chicken eggs in there that have been rolled so I cant see those either but I believe one of them had piped last night. today is day 28 for turkeys and 21 for chickens

 

[SilkieSensation]

My ornery bbw babies...who seem to think they don't have to stay IN the brooder.

You already have your BBWs to raise up? I usually wait til around June. Did you get them from a feed store or ordered them?

I ordered from Ideal. These are over 2 weeks old already. Ordered 20 (they sent 21), I lost 2...so 19 poults in with 25 red sex-link males (no losses) for fryers. Then I added 7 cx broilers from TSC last week & lost 2 because the fat turkeys sat on them. I had to separate into 2 brooders to keep them from being crowded & piling up. I'll add more broilers in April once these are out of the brooders & outside.

 

[AmericanMom]

2 Turkeys and 7 chickens ... Opened up the last four eggs, 3 turkeys and 1 chicken.. all fully formed but never internally piped, heads in correct position on all membrane normal (not to much fluid nor to dry)

Disappointed and second guessing myself on what I may have done wrong, temps perfect, dry incubation and except for the one egg all air cells normal... The only thing I can think of is these turkey eggs were the first eight laid by these two (at the time) 9 month old hens, The hens are 10 months old now. but eggs seemed large enough, chicks not to big for shell...

Second set goes into lockdown on Tuesday morning

eight Turkey eggs and I believe 6 chicken eggs


Seems I had a way better hatch rate hand turning last year and keeping the eggs out of the turner

 

[feedman77]

2  Turkeys and 7 chickens ... Opened up the last four eggs, 3 turkeys and 1 chicken.. all fully formed but never internally piped, heads in correct position on all membrane normal (not to much fluid nor to dry) 

 Disappointed and second guessing myself on what I may have done wrong, temps perfect, dry incubation and except for the one egg all air cells normal...  The only thing I can think of is these turkey eggs were the first eight laid by these two  (at the time) 9 month old hens,  The hens are 10 months old now. but eggs seemed large enough, chicks not to big for shell...

Second set goes into lockdown on Tuesday morning    eight Turkey eggs and I believe 6 chicken eggs


Seems I had a way better hatch rate hand turning last year and keeping the eggs out of the turner

hope your next round is better.
I've hatched 7 chickens and no turkeys yet. But do hav e 2 with external pip.

The eggs I watch to mske sure everything is perfect seem to have dismal hatch rates.

There was couple batches toward end of season just put in and didn't do anything to. Seemed to have better hatch percentage than the ones I stressed over.

 

[gevshiba]

I ordered from Ideal. These are over 2 weeks old already. Ordered 20 (they sent 21), I lost 2...so 19 poults in with 25 red sex-link males (no losses) for fryers. Then I added 7 cx broilers from TSC last week & lost 2 because the fat turkeys sat on them. I had to separate into 2 brooders to keep them from being crowded & piling up. I'll add more broilers in April once these are out of the brooders & outside.

I got my BBB poults from Ideal on February 19. I sure wasn't expecting them that early.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I ordered from Ideal. These are over 2 weeks old already. Ordered 20 (they sent 21), I lost 2...so 19 poults in with 25 red sex-link males (no losses) for fryers. Then I added 7 cx broilers from TSC last week

 I got my BBB poults from Ideal on February 19.  I sure wasn't expecting them that early.

I ordered mine when they had them on special due to over hatch. I'd rather start them a little earlier & pay less. They are actually doing way better than expected. The weather was horrible (-15) the day they arrived. I lost 1 on day 3 & 1 on day 7...both way smaller than the rest. Sometimes they just don't grow & nothing you can do.

 

[WalnutHill]

Do you harvest them throughout the year as you need them? I can't imagine starting BBB in February for Thanksgiving harvest.

 

[SilkieSensation]

As mine get to the size I want they will meet my freezer a few at a time. I started my Thanksgiving diner bbw hen the same time 2 yrs ago. She finished out around 35# live weight & about 24# processed weight the week of Thanksgiving. She was just short of 9 months old at butcher. I run my turkeys with the chickens until a couple weeks before processing, then into a smaller pen & higher protien for a couple weeks right before butcher to add those last few pounds & a layer of fat.

 

[gevshiba]

I ordered mine when they had them on special due to over hatch. I'd rather start them a little earlier & pay less. They are actually doing way better than expected. The weather was horrible (-15) the day they arrived. I lost 1 on day 3 & 1 on day 7...both way smaller than the rest. Sometimes they just don't grow & nothing you can do.

We had good weather and I'm so close, they get here the morning after they ship. I lost one too. It was smaller than the rest and I never could get it eating well.

 

[gevshiba]

Do you harvest them throughout the year as you need them? I can't imagine starting BBB in February for Thanksgiving harvest.

Unfortunately, I can only eat the white meat (love the dark, but it doesn't agree with me anymore. Same with chicken.). I raise turkeys for myself and my dogs. Why buy turkey for the dogs when I can raise it myself? So I can butcher anytime. The main problem with getting them in February is, they hit 5 months in July. July through September in Texas isn't the best time to butcher.