Turkeys For 2013

[kuntrygirl]

I see a house behind them. Can you put them in there at night and lock them up for protection and just let them out in the morning?

That is their house, it is part of the pen set up they sleep in there at night and get locked up It is predator proof. But if I seperate 2 toms for spring/summer dont I have to completely seperate them for day and night time? Can they still sleep in the same house? I thought I need to build the extra toms a seperate shelter for sleep and protection from the elements.

Hey, you know what. If it were me (and someone else please chime in on your thoughts), I would go ahead and house them all at night and separate the 2 groups the next day. BUT I know that is a lot of work and your schedule may not allow you to do that, since it will be another daily chore you have to do. How hard would that be on you to separate them every morning?

Now refresh my memory again, why are you wanting to separate them?

 

[chicken pickin]

I am wanting to seperate them because I have a bad ratio 3toms 2 hens. Im affraid the hens will get injured and as treebird mentioned earlier it might decrease fertility if the toms are fighting over the hens and knocking each other off the hens.

Oh and it wouldnt add much more to my outside daily routine to have to move them each morning. If they could be housed togther at night successfully that would work out great.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I am wanting to seperate them because I have a bad ratio 3toms 2 hens. Im affraid the hens will get injured and as treebird mentioned earlier it might decrease fertility if the toms are fighting over the hens and knocking each other off the hens.

Oh and it wouldnt add much more to my outside daily routine to have to move them each morning. If they could be housed togther at night successfully that would work out great.

Well, I think you are good to go because once they go in to roost/sleep, that's a wrap. Ain't no breeding commencing. When my turkeys go to roost, that's it. Everyone is in their place and tucked away and sleeping the night away. I say go for it. This way, you won't have to build another pen and everyone will get along fine.

What does everyone else think?

 

[Treebird]

Glad I can cheer you up kuntrygirl Nice set up you got there.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Glad I can cheer you up kuntrygirl Nice set up you got there.

Thank you.

I'm still laughing at you and will be all day. I was crying I laughed so hard earlier.

 

[fowlsessed]

Thanks Kuntrygirl for your input, I was baffled at Treebirds comment but, apparently they do go broody and prove to be good mothers. Excellent pics, too!!! And Treebird, you said that an adult chicken eats more than a turkey, wow, I should be fine with adding turkeys then. lol So where is the $150 you said you have into the adults? feed? I would be making them really forage and just supplement in the evening a little, so my price would be a little lower, remember I'm not looking for meat.
Thanks everyone.

 

[fowlsessed]

So, for "dubbing" the toms, is it necessary in cold areas?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Someone posted about the light color of my poults and I can't find the post. Sorry about that. I thought that I had replied but i didn't. Trying to reply to everyone who has questions. I'm finding that the BR poults that have the lighter colors do not get as dark colored as the others. However, I'm always excited to see the lighter colored poults and I am finding that the lighter colored poults are ALWAYS hens. So, when I see a light colored poult, I know it's a hen. I'm not sure where or how that color was thrown in there but it's been like that for a few years. I will try to take a pic of my lighter colored older hens and post today.

Anyone else with BR's have that happen as far as the light colors?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Thanks Kuntrygirl for your input, I was baffled at Treebirds comment but, apparently they do go broody and prove to be good mothers. Excellent pics, too!!! And Treebird, you said that an adult chicken eats more than a turkey, wow, I should be fine with adding turkeys then. lol So where is the $150 you said you have into the adults? feed? I would be making them really forage and just supplement in the evening a little, so my price would be a little lower, remember I'm not looking for meat.
Thanks everyone.

You are welcome and Thanks. If I knew when the girls would go broody, I would let them hatch ALL of their eggs. But it really doesn't take much for them to want to go broody. I think that if I would leave the eggs there in the nest, they would set on them but I'm always too excited and I always take the eggs from them.

I think my turkeys eat once a day. And I see the chickens at the feeder 12 times a day. The chickens are the first ones out of the coops and run to the feeders while the turkeys really don't too much care about eating all the time. I have no idea why. I'm thinking that the chickens use up more energy during the day because they run ALL OVER THE PLACE and they have to fuel up again. They have about an acre of property to cover and the chickens cover every single inch of it. The turkeys pretty much walk at a VERY slow pace, so they don't use much energy. I don't know. I'm just guessing.

What type of feed do you have in your area?

 

[kuntrygirl]

So, for "dubbing" the toms, is it necessary in cold areas? 

OUCH! Why do you want to dub?