Turkeys For 2013

[Bettacreek]

My girl is still on strike. :/ I do have a midget white still wet from the egg in the bator, plus two more pips! Then some royal palm eggs getting close!

 

[Sally8]

TURKEY EGG TURKEY EGG TURKEY EGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got my FIRST turkey egg this morn

My girl is still on strike.

I do have a midget white still wet from the egg in the bator, plus two more pips! Then some royal palm eggs getting close!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

The strike has ended, the turkeys are back at work. I knew when I found out, they hired the geese to be their union rep, it was going to be tough to negotiate a settlement, so I had to make some concessions! Under the old contract, they only got one day off from laying per month, but under the new contract they get one per week! Under the old contract they got occasional treats. Under the new contract, they get treats no less than 3 times a week. Also, under the new contract, they get fresh hay in their nests every week, are having their barn cleaned and remodeled, and get an extra hour to turkey(they're not horses) around, before lockup! Also, now they get profit sharing and get to keep one nest of eggs for the broodies when I collect everyone's quota of eggs for the incubator. I am just lucky Frank's turkeys did not join the union, because I don't want to have to feed them home made biscuits every Sunday morning, like he does! LOL The picket signs came down and the hens went back to work, yesterday. I got 5 eggs yesterday and 4 already today! I did see one hen sneaking off for a walk about today, but in her defense, she did appear to have a full crop, when she returned, so she might have been coming back from lunch! LOL I heard the chickens whispering about joining the union, today, but I let them know, if they break the budget, there isn't any unemployment benefits for birds, just freezer camp, so I think I nipped that one in the bud !

Good thing my geese ignore the turkeys unless they come steal from the "waterfowl only" feeders!

Mine have started laying better too. Last week I was still getting one egg a day from the six hens. I usually check their house every day, but had missed two days because my husband, son, and daughter all had the flu at the same time..so was being nurse-maid to them, which took a lot of time. When I finally went in the and checked the turkey house on day 3, I found a nest with 8 eggs in it: Sneaky little birds!

Anyway, I started getting 2-3 every day and they are getting much larger. I have my incubators FULL so am probably going to sell a dozen here and there while I wait for poults to hatch out.

 

[Celie]

Great news on the Turkey eggs, everybody! I Think spring is finally here, in the South and Just around the corner for folk up North! The pear trees are all in bloom and the early June peaches are setting fruit!

 

[Glenmar]

I got my first egg today too, but someone in the coop smashed it.

 

[frank53061]

I have gotten around 12 eggs from my Hens from about the last month but its hit and miss one egg here and one egg there and also 4 of those eggs had toe nail size holes in them or smashed.
My wife took some eggs to my Dad the other day and it seems my wife didn't check the carton and gave him the Turkey eggs.
The weather is improving and more daylight I got two eggs today I hope this will be a good start to a consistent laying or its going to be for not.

 

[Celie]

I got my first egg today too, but someone in the coop smashed it.

It's a real bummer when that happens!

I feel your disapointment, but at least they are laying!

 

[ashandvine]

I got 'invited' to come into this thread for support since I am a new turkey keeper. I have a pair of Midget Whites. She has collected three eggs in the nest the last three days. I collected a few early on to try incubating myself. They are in the bator now. I learned that I have to keep the Tom from the hen now that she is laying. Big surprise there. She is safely quarantined with her nest now. I had our broody duck attack me today. I can only imagine the broody turkey hen! I might wear padding or something to go in there.

Any newbie bits of wisdom I should know about brooding them or avoiding momma wrath?

 

[stillstoked]

111 pages in this thread!!, I didn't read them all. I have Spanish blacks, 3 females and 2 males, they seem to be doing good together. They started laying last week and have layed 4 eggs so far. not everyday but maybe every other day i find one. I am a complete newbie on this but I plan on hatching as many as I can and selling them. maybe keep a few. LOL

 

[turkeyguy123]

Does anybody in Southern michigan raise royal palms? I am interested in buying some poults or doing a swap for some of the poults I have hatching.