Turkeys For 2013

[redneck farmer]

Does the "chicken treat chart" in the learning center count for turkeys too? An can a turkey eat meat like a chicken or is it just plants/ veggies

 

[Sally8]

Turkeys need more protein than chickens, so yes they can eat meat. I've wondered if they can eat the exact same things too. Someday, I'll probably look it up.

 

[joshm97]

...

I am wanting to buy some turkeys to raise I'm new to this and I only want 2 turkeys to start off with... Any help???[/quote

Where are you located I know that some places near Sturbridge Massachusetts such as klems will sell you as little as 3 but no less

 

[Arielle]

I am wanting to buy some turkeys to raise I'm new to this and I only want 2 turkeys to start off with... Any help???

Try to find a source near you-- look on craigs list, or find the thread for your state and ask there. Often someone knows someone.

 

[GotCoop]

Hey everyone, I enjoy this thread. I have a question about aggressive poults, just a couple days old. I decided to try two sets of turkeys for my first time. I have 8 midget whites that are 6 weeks old...sweet as can be to each other, never seen them peck or pull. Then Sunday I got my second batch, day old red slate poults; 2 of bronze color, 4 of the yellow/grey, and one grey. They are very aggressive to each other, seems the darker ones are more aggressive to the lighter ones, but they all participate. I'm using the same set up I had for the MWs, red bulb etc. I thought maybe if I separated the light ones they would calm down...they did all seem to take a breather when they were separated. But then I thought it might be more trouble when I put them back together, so back they went. The rough activity picked up right away. The grey one seems especially intent on poking out eyes. I really I'm not set up to have three sets of turkey poults. Will they move past this phase...or what else would you suggest? Thanks.

 

[redneck farmer]

I'm no turkey expert but it soundalike they are making a pecking order. Now, I'm no expert like these guys an galls but if it don't stop soon then it might not be a pecking order an just violence

 

[Sally8]

Hey everyone, I enjoy this thread. I have a question about aggressive poults, just a couple days old. I decided to try two sets of turkeys for my first time. I have 8 midget whites that are 6 weeks old...sweet as can be to each other, never seen them peck or pull. Then Sunday I got my second batch, day old red slate poults; 2 of bronze color, 4 of the yellow/grey, and one grey. They are very aggressive to each other, seems the darker ones are more aggressive to the lighter ones, but they all participate. I'm using the same set up I had for the MWs, red bulb etc. I thought maybe if I separated the light ones they would calm down...they did all seem to take a breather when they were separated. But then I thought it might be more trouble when I put them back together, so back they went. The rough activity picked up right away. The grey one seems especially intent on poking out eyes. I really I'm not set up to have three sets of turkey poults. Will they move past this phase...or what else would you suggest? Thanks.

I need to understand, are you trying to put the 6 wk olds with the day old? It's very frustrating when this happens. I have my adult chickens in their coop but moved the 2 adult turkeys in with them, (they used to be anyway), so that I could move the 8 week olds out to the turkey coop so that I could move the 4 week olds into the pen where the 8 wk olds were so that I could increase the size of the rabbit cage with the 2 week old chicks in them. I'm getting tired of little chicks and I know that I'll have troubles getting them all together too. So, the 2 sizes and do they have a lot of room or is space a little problem too? Sometimes it's just a matter of pecking order but you do need to protect the little ones

 

[desertmarcy]

I'm going to try to get some lavenders next year, what needs to be bred to get a lilac? Do you know how many years it takes to get them to breed true? I"m also going to start a blue palm program next year. I talked to Kevin about that and he said eventually I'd get blue palms but I didn't ask him how long it would take, do you know?
My toms were missing all the feathers on their breasts too, they have just started growing back in though they still pace the fence.

I hope she hatches the rest, can you separate your Toms?

If you are trying to get lilacs with the genotype of Kevins, you could do that in two generations. Start with a bronze b+b+ and a lavender BBDD, 1st gen you will get all Bb+DD, cross those and you will get 50% of the same plus 25% BBDD (lavender) and 25% b+b+DD (lilac). The problem I have with crossing turkeys is 1) you need to be able to tell the unwanted genotypes apart phenotypically (by their color) or you won't know which ones to breed without test breeding and this can get very expensive. You can't always tell what the genotype is by looking at the bird and 2) did I mention this is expensive. For me, I don't have the space/resources to house all those turkeys and better just to buy them from someone like Kevin who has already bred what I like. Yes it can be fun to cross breed and get all sorts of different colors and if you have nice free range and no predators to worry about, much easier to do. Where I am, have to keep all my birds confined or they will get eaten.

 

[desertmarcy]

Does anybody on this thread process/dress out heritage turkeys for sale for Thanksgiving (or whenever)? I'm trying to figure out what to price mine at this year. I feed certified organic and the cost of feed has gone up over 10% the last year. Last year I priced them at $6.50/pound processed ready to cook. Thinking $7.15/pound this year, that would be a 10% increase. Not sure how many people will pay that, but I don't want to process a huge number of birds anyway, it is just me doing it with some help from DH.

 

[GotCoop]

I need to understand, are you trying to put the 6 wk olds with the day old?  It's very frustrating when this happens.  I have my adult chickens in their coop but moved the 2 adult turkeys in with them, (they used to be anyway), so that I could move the 8 week olds out to the turkey coop so that I could move the 4 week olds into the pen where the 8 wk olds were so that I could increase the size of the rabbit cage with the 2 week old chicks in them.  I'm getting tired of little chicks and I know that I'll have troubles getting them all together too.  So, the 2 sizes and do they have a lot of room or is space a little problem too?   Sometimes it's just a matter of pecking order but you do need to protect the little ones

I am not trying to mix the six week olds with the day olds. It's the days by themselves in separate containment that are so aggressive to each other. Old turkeys are in different area. Poults have plenty of room. I'm going to check on them now and see how they made it through the night.