Turkeys For 2013

[Bettacreek]

I have really only done a few non-staggered hatches. I don't seem to have any issues with staggered hatches. Mine all seem to have an excellent hatch rate... Rarely do I get an egg that makes it to full maturity without hatching.

 

[Celie]

THe book I have on chicken eggs by janet stromberg says that 50-55 is best with 75% humidity; but she goes on to say that long term storage uses a cooler temp for better results. So you will know shortly how your refridge worked for you. I have put a thermometer in my fridge, it is 35 on top shelf which is why my greens freeze, lol and the bottom shelf is 45. I don't use my refridge, I was just checking it as a possibility, as my basement does really well for both temp and humidity.

Every frig I have had was coldest on the top shelf for beverages and warmest on the bottom draw for veggies. I thought they were made that way?

I will be happy to watch your hatching escapades . . . I'm not hatching until spring.

I'm still cleaning my bathroom floor; CHickensare Sweet helped me find how to clean off the urates: lemon juice. My job for tomorrow. I don't want to brood in the house any more. Too messy.

I totally agree and as soon as DH builds a brooder room as he suggested in the barn, 8x10 fully insulated with several brooding boxes and electric to run all the heat lamps I need, there will be an additional bathroom, completely remodeled, in our house! I have already bought the towel holders, TP holder, Soap tray, etc. all of porcelain. There are just the 2 of us with 2 1/2 baths and I hated the colors and decor of that bathroom. The people we bought the house from, have 2 daughters that they let paint, wallpaper and decorate that bathroom, and lets just say tacky is too nice a word for it. There is more baseboard paint on the walls than on the baseboards., It has all ceramic flooring though, so the floors shouldn't be too much work, I would think, using a few bottles of peroxide, followed by a disinfectant???

Did you have any problems with a staggered hatch?

I have never not had a staggard hatch ! Incubating chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, and goose eggs all at the same time, I put in eggs as soon as they are gathered, marking each one with the due date, working from top to bottom and putting them into the bottom peeping tray, and moving the trays to the next shelf as the chicks come out, no problem with 180 a month! Now that I can do 360 a month, it may get slightly more complicated. I really need to downsize, so the chickens and ducks will get fewer to make more room for TURKEYS!!

I also added 10 more rabbit cages, too!

Rabbits taste good!!!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I have been cutting a lemon and dripping it onto the white dried poo and let it soak.

THe green and black poo came off easler with a wet wash cloth: let soak, and then scrub. THe white urates were still there. THe lemon juice softens the white, some spots are easy to rub off after the lemon soak, others need more work. Often a scrape with a finger nail is helpful.

I'm trying vinegar too and comparing the two acids. Need to do a little more experimenting to know if vinegar, which is cheaper, is better or at least the same.

 

[zekii]

We plan on continuing with our Midget white & Narragansett groups, and adding some Jersey Buffs. I'm getting Jersey Buff eggs, so depending on what hatches we'll see where that group will start at. I hatched 10 Midget whites, and 7 Narragansettes in 2012, each of those hatches produced only 2 hens each, so no shortage of Toms here, but would like to have more hens. It will be interesting trying to keep the different breeds apart once they start mating. Temps are cold here now, so haven't seen any mating activity, but the Toms are fighting. The Midget white hens are now 9 months old, but still haven't gotten any eggs, but I haven't provided any artifical lighting in their coop, so probably won't see any eggs for another month or more. I plan on getting some Midget white eggs from another breeder, to add some diversity to my midget white flock, and determine how closely my Midget whites are to the true variety standard. Get thru the next couple months, and then I'll hopefully start filling the incubators.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I'm excited to be getting my first turkeys in 2013.  Lilacs and red slates.

 

Congrats !!!!!!!!! Post pics when you can.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I will be happy to watch your hatching escapades . . . I'm not hatching until spring. 


I'm still cleaning my bathroom floor; CHickensare Sweet helped me find how to clean off the urates: lemon juice. My job for tomorrow.  I don't want to brood in the house any more. Too messy.

Lemon Juice to clean? Do tell me more. I still have a backroom that I am fighting with. I know it's VERY messy to brood in the house and I've had to pay for it many years. What's the secret to cleaning with the lemon juice? What do I need to do? Thanks.

I have been cutting a lemon and dripping it onto the white dried poo and let it soak.  

 THe green and black poo came off  easler with a wet wash cloth: let soak, and then scrub. THe white urates were still there. THe lemon juice softens the white, some spots are easy to rub off after the lemon soak, others need more work. Often a scrape with a finger nail is helpful.  

I'm trying vinegar too and comparing the two acids.  Need to do a little more experimenting to know if vinegar, which is cheaper, is better or at least the same. 

THANK YOU VERY much for that tip. I'm glad that you are experimenting so that you can share with others who have the same problem. This is awesome! I purchased a gallon of vinegar a few months ago but have not tried cleaning with it. I'll stay tuned for an update from you on how the vinegar works.

 

[Celie]

I have been cutting a lemon and dripping it onto the white dried poo and let it soak.

THe green and black poo came off easler with a wet wash cloth: let soak, and then scrub. THe white urates were still there. THe lemon juice softens the white, some spots are easy to rub off after the lemon soak, others need more work. Often a scrape with a finger nail is helpful.

I'm trying vinegar too and comparing the two acids. Need to do a little more experimenting to know if vinegar, which is cheaper, is better or at least the same.

What type of flooring are you trying to clean?

 

[zekii]

On the subject of natural cleaning solutions we are currently making a bottle of orange peel cleaner. You can do a search on Google and find the recipe.
Here is a link....
http://www.nothingbutcountry.com/2012/04/make-your-own-orange-peel-cleaner/

We normally use plain white vinager when we clean our coops out good once a year.
We also sprinkle DE (diatamacous earth) around inside the coops ever couple of months.

 

[Bitterroot]

Congrats !!!!!!!!! Post pics when you can.

I plan to. You guys will be sick of seeing them in no time.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Congrats !!!!!!!!! Post pics when you can.

I plan to.  You guys will be sick of seeing them in no time. 

Can never get sick of seeing turkey pics. I LOVE THEM !!!!!!!!!!! POST AWAY !!!!!!!!!!!