Turkeys For 2013

[1MrsMagoo]

Well, got the last of the turkey poults hatched this morning. Ended up with 15 out of 19. 3 quit at lockdown point and the other one pipped yesterday and then quit today. Never had that happen before. Our three that are five weeks old now we moved out to the garage along with the ducks. Babies got their first feeding of fodder today. They loved it. Going to have to build a bigger fodder system for feeding all the birds with now that we've added 18 turkeys and 5 more ducks. Of course I'm still hoping we sell some of our turkey poults otherwise I'll have enough down to make a queen size mattress and enough turkey to eat to feed a small army. Guess we could build a smoker and make our own smoked turkey breast for sandwiches ... If we had more land they would all just get to run free and live forever eating bugs and foraging to their hearts content but unfortunately, we don't have that much space for them. Loved the turkey and cigarette story. I could see ours doing that too.

Congratulations on your hatch Erinszoo! I had a few post hatch quitters last week: I don't get it either. Everything that hatched right before them was fine and everything after. Good luck selling poults, but if not a year's supply of smoked turkey on reserve could be really nice too!

THat tiny goat is precious!! Love the Santa outfit. I kept my twins in a cardboard box-- it was a long time before they had the ability to hop out. Figured then it was time to go back to the barn.

Oh we had a Dr Walters like that in the area until he finally did retire.

I'm looking into pigs too. I researched the heritage one evening and even found sources.I would like to use the pigs to improve the land and provide meat for my family. THe piglet price on the heritage hogs really surprized me. $300 was the cheapest I could find. I would like to get two piglets this year but the reality is that I will improve the land using the sheep and chickens to start with. I'm learning that all the grain traditionally used is not necessary when good pasture is provided.

OH I didn't mind the two feet of snow-- it was all light fluffy stuff that the snow blower could handle. THis wet stuff I'm not keen on. Seems heavier to shovel. I find it odd that people here complain about the snow. It is pretty and fun to play in. We made a snow rhino one year instead of a snowman!

That tiny goat is the second largest I have now. He has some cool white markings on his side and one is shaped somewhat like a rooster!

Funny...the town I grew up in, the old vet my parents took everything to was Dr. Walters! He liked big animals and was always annoyed when they brought their miniature dachshund, but he was the best vet around.

Yes, it does seem that the heritage pigs are a lot more expensive than the Hampshires or other common pigs. I found a local breeder that crosses the two breeds I want. For a juvenile barrow, he starts the prices at $100 and they go up with age. He only likes to sell gilts, but I want an intact hog so we have to work that out. I also got a year's subscription to the LA Dept. of Agriculture's Market Bulletin: Tons of farmers advertise in it and it's free if you pay the $10 for a year's subscription.

We have about 1.5 acres that are still heavily wooded with primarily oaks, which means a ton of acorns. Their is a small area fenced and ready and we hope to expand that area every month. We are going to have to use very high quality fencing, maybe even cattle panels on the back side that borders the woods though: Their are wild hogs here and they will tear a fence up to get to domestic females.

 

[RusticDreamer]

I am wanting to expand my flock of Auburns and Silver Auburn Turkeys!! If anyone has any for sale, I'd love to talk I'm in Louisiana so it would have to be somewhere I can drive, within a few hours!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Well, got the last of the turkey poults hatched this morning. Ended up with 15 out of 19. 3 quit at lockdown point and the other one pipped yesterday and then quit today. Never had that happen before. Our three that are five weeks old now we moved out to the garage along with the ducks. Babies got their first feeding of fodder today. They loved it. Going to have to build a bigger fodder system for feeding all the birds with now that we've added 18 turkeys and 5 more ducks. Of course I'm still hoping we sell some of our turkey poults otherwise I'll have enough down to make a queen size mattress and enough turkey to eat to feed a small army. Guess we could build a smoker and make our own smoked turkey breast for sandwiches ... If we had more land they would all just get to run free and live forever eating bugs and foraging to their hearts content but unfortunately, we don't have that much space for them. Loved the turkey and cigarette story. I could see ours doing that too.

Congrats on a great hatch!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

1MrsMagoo, that baby is BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO SWEET !!!!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

I moved the first set of poults out to their stalls. I worked DE in the soil before putting them out there. I have a heat lamp out there with them in case we have more of those 30 degree nights. Still too cold for them to not have any heat.

The younger poults that hated a week or so ago have been testing out their wings. They fly so well until they flew out of their brooder. I didn't have a top on it because at the time, they weren't able to fly. Now, it's a different story. I will be moving them from their inside brooder to the brooder in the garage with a heat lamp.

Now it's time to hatch some goose eggs. :/

 

[r4eboxer]

I moved the first set of poults out to their stalls. I worked DE in the soil before putting them out there. I have a heat lamp out there with them in case we have more of those 30 degree nights. Still too cold for them to not have any heat.

The younger poults that hated a week or so ago have been testing out their wings. They fly so well until they flew out of their brooder. I didn't have a top on it because at the time, they weren't able to fly. Now, it's a different story. I will be moving them from their inside brooder to the brooder in the garage with a heat lamp.

Now it's time to hatch some goose eggs.

Awesome! how long do you wait until you move your poults outside? How many goose eggs are you hatching?

 

[Bettacreek]

I need to get everybody moved. Big, big guys go to the main flock (a duck, a leghorn cockerel and a leghorn/brahma pullet) and the poults either need to go with the seramas and quail, or I need cage brooders, because boy am I tired of chasing turkey poults all over the basement here! I have one that is ALWAYS out, another that is out about half of the time and then the third seems to come out for a party once in awhile, but the little dark one and the younger one seem to stay put where it's warm, lol.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I moved the first set of poults out to their stalls. I worked DE in the soil before putting them out there. I have a heat lamp out there with them in case we have more of those 30 degree nights. Still too cold for them to not have any heat.


The younger poults that hated a week or so ago have been testing out their wings. They fly so well until they flew out of their brooder. I didn't have a top on it because at the time, they weren't able to fly. Now, it's a different story. I will be moving them from their inside brooder to the brooder in the garage with a heat lamp.


Now it's time to hatch some goose eggs. :/

Awesome! how long do you wait until you move your poults outside? How many goose eggs are you hatching?

They are 7 weeks old this week. The weather hasn't been too cold but I still have the heat lamp available if I need to turn it on. They are in one of my breeding stalls, so the are clearly out of the weather and the elements.

 

[Scottingitup]

Put a bunch of eggs in the bator on saturday - I got a hen who had just decided to start setting. She had a large clutch 15+ maybe even 20+ they barely fit under her. Too many predator problems to let her set. One of these days I may have a breeding pen for broodies.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

I am wanting to expand my flock of Auburns and Silver Auburn Turkeys!! If anyone has any for sale, I'd love to talk I'm in Louisiana so it would have to be somewhere I can drive, within a few hours!

Hope you find some stock! I don't know anyone that has those, but I bet they are beautiful!

I moved the first set of poults out to their stalls. I worked DE in the soil before putting them out there. I have a heat lamp out there with them in case we have more of those 30 degree nights. Still too cold for them to not have any heat.

The younger poults that hated a week or so ago have been testing out their wings. They fly so well until they flew out of their brooder. I didn't have a top on it because at the time, they weren't able to fly. Now, it's a different story. I will be moving them from their inside brooder to the brooder in the garage with a heat lamp.

Now it's time to hatch some goose eggs.

Oh, and thanks for the comment about little Willie goat: He's a sweetie for sure. The vet told me at the time that it was a miracle he survived. He was less than half the weight he should have been when he was born. He was a tad bit over 3 pounds birth weight and should have been over 6.

I need to get the oldest poults out of the brooder in the garage and into a larger space in the barn. I only have one small poult right now: I am waiting for 7 more to hatch then I can deliver the next order. Luckily, two of my hens have started laying again and I've gotten at least 1 if not 2 eggs every day for the past week. So, I am filling up one of the incubators with turkey eggs again. I have French White Muscovy eggs coming next week, so fingers are crossed for a good hatch on those.

Good luck with your goose eggs. I filled a second incubator with eggs, but can't fit as many now because the eggs are getting huge! I have 24 eggs in right now and fingers are crossed I get more fertile ones. I am going to start shipping eggs to fill my hatching egg orders next week, so have to hurry and incubate all the eggs being laid before I can't keep any!