Turkeys For 2013

[fowlsessed]

Okay, good to know.

 

[Celie]

 

[erinszoo]

19 turkey eggs in the bator still cooking away ... The three babies are doing great and growing like mad and trying to fly out of the box. One of them chirps all the time, even when it's asleep. Why do they do that? It's not the first one we've had that has done that. Has anyone shipped live turkeys poults before through the mail? I'm not talking about having them shipped to you, but you shipping them to someone else. I have a friend in Washington state that wants some turkeys and I was going to send her some of my 19 in the bator if they hatch but I want to make sure they get there alive without spending an exorbitant amount of money. I'm more comfortable sending eggs as I can wrap them and such, but baby turkeys are so fragile and need warmth. Any hints?

 

[Jesz]

19 turkey eggs in the bator still cooking away ... The three babies are doing great and growing like mad and trying to fly out of the box. One of them chirps all the time, even when it's asleep. Why do they do that? It's not the first one we've had that has done that. Has anyone shipped live turkeys poults before through the mail? I'm not talking about having them shipped to you, but you shipping them to someone else. I have a friend in Washington state that wants some turkeys and I was going to send her some of my 19 in the bator if they hatch but I want to make sure they get there alive without spending an exorbitant amount of money. I'm more comfortable sending eggs as I can wrap them and such, but baby turkeys are so fragile and need warmth. Any hints?

I had a horrible experience. I ordered poults from a hatchery they sent 19 and 3 survived. If you decide to ship please put warming packs, shavings or hay in the shipping box. It took 3 days for the poults to get from vw to louisiana. It was terrible opening the box and the poults were dead. The hatchery refunded my money, but I rather have had the poults. I told them their shipping method was horrible with the nights in the 30's, without warming packs. I would have paid for the warming packs, but wasn't given the option. They should have covered the side holes on the box and left one or two on the top opened.
If you ship please let us know they made it safe to their new home.

 

[r4eboxer]

I have been wondering about shipping live birds too. Anyone know the cheapest place for shipping supplies? heat packs, boxes etc.

 

[Celie]

I understand that you can buy the shipping boxes at most hatcheries for about $7 for the smallest size, but I do not ship live birds of any sort. If I lived next to an airport, I might give it a try, because I have had so many requests, but I feel much safer shipping eggs ! When I buy from a hatchery, I try to find the closest hatchery to me that sells the birds I am looking for., but I have had complete losses, ordering day olds from nurseries too, so I only order in the summer months, when I do. Sorry for the losses you guys have experienced. It is hard it open a box and find dead or dying birds !

 

[Celie]

I don't mean to change the subject, but I was wondering if anyone wanted to share any tricks or techniques they have with Turkeys on this thread? For instant, when I hatch out poults, I also put some chicken eggs in the incubator, too, because I find it a lot easier to let the chicks, show the poults the "ropes" on eating and drinking in the brooder. It also provides body warmth for both birds to snuggle together. If I sell any day or two old poults, I put a free chick in the box, too, for the same reason. Does anyone else have something to share?

 

[Arielle]

19 turkey eggs in the bator still cooking away ... The three babies are doing great and growing like mad and trying to fly out of the box. One of them chirps all the time, even when it's asleep. Why do they do that? It's not the first one we've had that has done that. Has anyone shipped live turkeys poults before through the mail? I'm not talking about having them shipped to you, but you shipping them to someone else. I have a friend in Washington state that wants some turkeys and I was going to send her some of my 19 in the bator if they hatch but I want to make sure they get there alive without spending an exorbitant amount of money. I'm more comfortable sending eggs as I can wrap them and such, but baby turkeys are so fragile and need warmth. Any hints?

I've not sent turkeys, just received them. ANd I've sent eggs. Send them overnight. THe USPS in our area has done well to contact us when the chicks arrive at the main hub, withour choice to pick up at the hub or wait for the next day. ( Was not overnight delivery). The minimum sent in all the sources I have read are 15. Honestly my poults have been as small as my chicks, so 15 baffles me. Perhaps being winter, Include a heating pad ?--not sure where you can get them.
Use a shipper designed for poultry.

I understand your nervousness about the delicate poults. Hopefully others will chime in.

 

[Arielle]

I don't mean to change the subject, but I was wondering if anyone wanted to share any tricks or techniques they have with Turkeys on this thread? For instant, when I hatch out poults, I also put some chicken eggs in the incubator, too, because I find it a lot easier to let the chicks, show the poults the "ropes" on eating and drinking in the brooder. It also provides body warmth for both birds to snuggle together. If I sell any day or two old poults, I put a free chick in the box, too, for the same reason. Does anyone else have something to share?

Originally I set chicken eggs 1 week after the turkey eggs, found that I like setting the chick egg at the same time much better. The chicks well adjusted and know the location of food and water by the time poults show up , and then I can concentrate on the poults and the poults can copy the chicks.

I fill the waters with marbles. Drown chicks is a sad sight. I also try to have two waterers, and two feeders, and never move them. I clean them and refill and place back in the same location.

Celie, is this what you mean for ideas??

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Withdrawal times are determined by the amount of time needed for a given species to clear the drug/medication/ antibiotic from the meat or eggs before eating/consuming. Often with all the dosing info that is freely distributed on BYC the withdrawal time is lost or forgotten. It is set based on a specific dosage for a specific administration time or method for a given species.

I read somewhere last year, not on a thread but in a research paper or medical journal article I believe, that the with-drawls are necessary for two reasons. First, some people are allergic to certain drugs/meds/antibiotics and can have a violent reaction if their is enough present in their meat or eggs. So, to protect consumers and hold the sellers harmless from legal repercussions, the products are assigned the appropriate with-drawl time, which is honestly probably longer than needed in most cases.

The second has to do with the creation of super bugs, or bacterias and other organisms that are resistant to drugs. This happens when they continually receive very small doses of the thing meant to kill them. Instead of dying, the next generation builds a bit of resistance. It is this very phenomenon that has created drug resistant varieties of Tuberculosis and fleas that chemicals will no longer kill.

It is also the reason you do not see with draw periods for all drugs/chemicals like Ivomec. Only products used to treat human ailments/sickness, or disease have with drawls from human consumption. Unless we live in a third world country where they do get intestinal parasites, we typically do not need wormers administered.

NOW for something completely different: A question. Two of my turkey hens are about 6 weeks older than my other four. The two older girls started laying several weeks ago, and laid well till last week. I have not gotten an egg in 8 days, but they are still very actively mating. Nobody is sick and they all are very active, eating well, and running around playing. Is it common for first year layers to start then stop like that? The younger girls haven't started yet, so I hope they kick in soon: I have orders to fill!