Turkeys For 2013

[kuntrygirl]

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

Yes, it's the same. They will eat meat as well.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Well, my royal palm hen decided to try to go broody on nothing out in the brush (all of her eggs are incubating and developing under other broody hens

) so I decided to break down and rig up a sheltered nest in her coop (that she hardly stays in). To my surprise, she's actually laying again and using it! This time I'll let her build up her own clutch and incubate them herself. She was not a happy camper when I removed her from her imaginary eggs It's ugly, but it's cozy, and she likes it, and if she's happy with it, I'm happy. It's better than being out in the briars and rain.

Congrats on the broody hen. I LOVE her set up. I"m glad that she likes it as well. Looks don't matter, it's what's functional for our birds and if that works for her, then what is what we want. BTW, you should see some of my ugly setups. Yours looks like a palace. Good job. Keep us posted.

 

[redneck farmer]

Yes, it's the same. They will eat meat as well.

So down here in FL. We got some invasive spices called tilapia an they r pretty good eatin
If I just cook it up ( the felae) with out adding any salt or bread crumbs or nothing can I feed it to my turkey an chicken?

 

[kuntrygirl]

I thought that I would post this link. Very good info on here.

How to Raise Heritage Turkeys on Pasture
Chapter 6
Facilities, Shelters, and Fencing

http://albc-usa.org/documents/turkeymanual/ALBCturkey-6.pdf

ETA: Could be possibly part of the care sheet.

 

[joshm97]

Quote: thank you... they got pretty beaten up by one of my skittish hens as I collected them, none were broken but the got a good smack.... will they still hatch?

 

[Celie]

I know it is sooooo scary selling babies to people. I have sold many chicks. Many sales I felt comfortable with a few I was nervous about because the knowledge of chickens was not there. One couple came to pick some up not too long ago and didnt know they needed a brooder and had no clue what the heat lamp was. so they obviously werent ready for them. I told them TSC had everything they needed and to go asap. I hope they listened, I had a feeling they were gonna put them outside with the big girls hoping they would take care of them. ButI could be wrong.

I also just sold a few and the couple seemed to know a bit, but a few hours after they picked them up I got an email saying a chick drown in the water dish, I asked them what they were using and they said a self waterer. They replaced it with dishes of water I urged them to please put marbles on the bottom so drowning wouldnt happen again.

I plan to use care sheets soon for chicks and poults for customers I also encourage them to contact me with any questions they may have. But I also try to remeber alot of people are very new to chicken and turkey raising and dont have the knowledge and dont know where to find it. Ill do my best to educated them while they are at my house but after that its out of my control. I try not to think about it to far beyond that.

While showing the poults to the buyers, could you show them the dishes and marbles, etc. that you use? Some people need visual aids! I find that I can talk to them till I'm blue in the face, they will not remember, but showing them works better for my customers! I would never send anyone to TSC, because they will advise them all wrong and try to tell the people the salesman, who just wants to make a sale, but doesn't know his A@@ from a hole in the ground, knows more than you do about raising poults! They, IMO, is the worse place to send anyone, unless you want them to kill the birds and you get faulted for it! They do not even know what breed chicken they are selling and will sell them chicken starter, rather than turkey starter!!!

Im trying staggered hatches for the first time. I am setting turkey eggs every weekend. All the poults will be 1 week apart is that ok to put the poults together in the same brooder?

Also do you sell poults as day olds or do you wait a while til they eat drink and you know they are strong?

I set a tray of 30 poults every week, on Friday. In have 3 brooders( nothing but large plastic bins that you would store seasonal decorations, etc. in, I put the day olds in the first one, when the second batch hatches, the first hatchlings are eating and drinking good enough to need slightly larger bowls for feed and water, so the week olds go into bin 2 and the day olds into bin 1, By week 3, they need more water, so they go into bin 3, which is also larger and with bigger waterers and feeders, by week 4, they are out in the rabbit barn, with the other juvenile birds. I don't consider myself an expert, but this is how I do it. and it works for me. I advertise as day old poults, but sell the ones at least a week old, so I am sure they are eating and drinking on their own, and include a tutor chick, just in case the poults forget where the waterer and feeder, in their new home is. Here are pics of the juveniles and the rabbit barn.

I only close the overhead door is the nights go under 40 degrees and they have a bed of hay in the corner, out of the draft, with a night light, and they get a lot of body heat with the rabbits in their cages in the same barn.The largest 2 poults are 7 weeks old and are a pair, the next in size are 5 weeks and also a pair, the younger ones, I have not sexed yet. They have a couple dozen poults and a couple dozen poults. doing fine in their cozy corner, and come and go as they please, with the ducks by the pond, most of the day, about 40 feet away. About dark they head for bed and I close the gate for the night.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm the same as you. I try not to think about it but I can't help it. I feel like I am contributing to the death of my animals by selling them to people who don't know. My family says that I get "too involved" and my personal feelings take over my decisions to sell things and I won't make any money that way. Well, I'm guilty of that . It's not about making money. It's about giving people the opportunity to enjoy these beautiful animals that we have and give them the birds the chance to live a productive life and possibly provide food to their families. And if they are gonna kill everything up, then they can't enjoy the babies that I hatch. That's why I always stress to them, CALL me about ANYTHING. I don't care if it's 2:00 AM in the morning. If there is a problem, I want to be there to help them out. Maybe my feelings are too wrapped up and I care too much. I don't know.

KuntryGirl, you are a very compassionate caring person, and tend to beat yourself up, too much for things that are not your fault. If you watch the videos that show how commercial chickens and turkeys are raised and processed, you would realize that the people who buy store bought meat, are the ones who contribute to the inhumane treatment of animals! You can only do your best to educate your customers, which you are already doing! You do a great job, give yourself credit for that!

I am located
Quote:

Kuntrygirl, I separated the 2-day old poults, the three dark colored ones in one container and the four light colored ones into another...the light colored ones are nice and calm; the darker ones are still picking on each other but each gives as good as it gets (still less than when they were all together). I wait till they get bigger to re-integrate them.

I have another question, my MWs will be 8 weeks old in a week and a half, I plan on turning them out into their new enclosure a that time but I want to give them poxine for fowl pox...can you recommend a good instruction on how to administer the vaccine. Thanks

I am starting my first batch on the incubator. These were the eggs my hen was sitting on.. I took them because she was eating them...

in the process my crazy blue slate hen blueberry crashed into the nest box and the eggs went a Rollin'. They got pretty beat up in the process but none cracked. Will they still hatch. If so how can I tell. I have never hatched in an incubator and don't have a good idea of how to candle. All I know is that 99.5 degrees F is the way to go. Thanks for the help and concern also... I needed it. Anyone who knows about any thing on this situation please help!

Unless you can find 3 month olds, so you can buy a pair, you probably won't be getting a pair. If you want one male and one female, most people can not sex poults, until they loose their baby fluff and start growing feathers. I try at a day old, but it's just a guess. That's why hatcheries only usually sell straight run. You can also try your local feed stores, but be careful, and make sure they know you want Heritage turkeys, if you plan to breed them. If they are only for your Thanksgiving table, most feed stores sell the Broad Breasted type that grow fast and are processed at 4 to 6 months, but don't usually live much past that.

Good job on separating them.

About instructions on how to adminster the poxine vaccine, please see below. This person provides details instructions on how to do it.
I hope that this can help. If not, let me know and I will help you.

How long is the vaccine good for after it is mixed? What age do you vaccinate yours, with staggered hatches?

So down here in FL. We got some invasive spices called tilapia an they r pretty good eatin
If I just cook it up ( the felae) with out adding any salt or bread crumbs or nothing can I feed it to my turkey an chicken?

Turkeys and chickens love fish, just feed it to them raw. When Hubby goes fishing, while he is fileting, the birds line up for the bones and trimmings !

I thought that I would post this link. Very good info on here.
http://albc-usa.org/documents/turkeymanual/ALBCturkey-6.pdf

ETA: Could be possibly part of the care sheet.

KuntryGirl, I want to thank you for all the work you put into typing and posting your care sheet! Would you mind if I copied it, made copies and gave it out with young poults?

 

[farm_mom]

TY for the invite to come check out the thread kuntrygirl, boy you guys are active over here! lol So far my narri's have got one nest started in a barrel. This is this group of birds first breeding season so I am anxious to see how well they do. Happy hatching everyone!

 

[kuntrygirl]

TY for the invite to come check out the thread kuntrygirl, boy you guys are active over here! lol So far my narri's have got one nest started in a barrel. This is this group of birds first breeding season so I am anxious to see how well they do. Happy hatching everyone!

Welcome! Glad that you made it over. Congrats on the nest! Looking good. Keep us posted.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: thank you... they got pretty beaten up by one of my skittish hens as I collected them, none were broken but the got a good smack.... will they still hatch?
May or may not make it-- this is where patience is required and hope! You will know at hatching time, or a few days after the due dates. Patience.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Thanks for the kind words Celie. I have seen a couple videos of how they are treated and I can't watch the entire video. It hurts my heart. I try my best to educate people. What they do with the info that I share is up to them. I'll keep trying.

This is what I found about the vaccine......

POXINE

Zoetis
Fowl Pox Vaccine
Live Virus
For veterinary use only
Read in full, follow directions carefully.
Poxine

is recommended for vaccination against fowl pox in healthy chickens 6 weeks of age or older and in healthy turkeys 8 weeks of age or older.
Store this vaccine at not above 45°F (7°C).
Do not vaccinate within 21 days before slaughter.
Use entire contents of vial when first opened.
Burn this container and all unused contents.
WHEN TO VACCINATE
Chickens: Vaccination with Poxine

is to be performed when chickens are at least 6 weeks of age and at least 1 month before they come into production. This vaccine is also recommended for the revaccination, at 12 weeks of age, of chickens that have been vaccinated at an age earlier than 6 weeks with another vaccine for the prevention of fowl pox.
Turkeys: Fowl-pox vaccination of turkeys is recommended in most areas because of the frequent and widespread occurrence of the disease. It is a common practice to vaccinate poults when they are transferred from the brooder house to other quarters or the range (usually at 8 weeks of age). It is recommended that the vaccination of turkeys for market be avoided during the last 8 weeks prior to marketing.
DIRECTIONS
1. Rehydrate 1 vial of vaccine with 1 vial of diluent.
2. Remove aluminum seal and rubber stopper from vaccine vial and diluent vial. Avoid contamination of the stopper and vial contents.
3. Pour approximately one-half the diluent into the vaccine vial. Replace stopper and shake gently until contents are dissolved.
4. Pour all the reconstituted vaccine back into the remaining diluent in the diluent bottle. Replace diluent stopper and gently mix. The vaccine is then ready for use.
5. Hold individual bird and spread wing with the underside facing upwards.
6. Dip the vaccinator tool into the vaccine, wetting both needles.
7. Stick the needles through the web of the wing, avoiding blood vessels, bones, and the wing muscle. The vaccine should not touch feathers, the head of the birds, or the skin except at the site of vaccination.
HOW TAKES APPEAR
The usual take consists of some swelling at the site of the puncture as early as the fourth day following vaccination. The swelling increases during the next five days until a scab is formed. Revaccinate birds that do not show takes.
PRECAUTIONS
Do not expose vaccine to either direct sunlight or extreme heat during vaccination.
Vaccinate healthy chickens or turkeys only.
Contains gentamicin as a preservative.
CAUTION
This product should be stored, transported, and administered in accordance with the instructions and directions.
The use of this vaccine is subject to state laws, wherever applicable.
RECORDS
Keep a record of vaccine serial number and expiration date; date of receipt and date of vaccination; where vaccination takes place; and any reactions observed.

And please help yourself to printing out the care sheet. And if you can think of anything that we can add, please let us know.