Turkeys For 2013

[Bettacreek]

LOL! They'll sit down, with their wings kind of relaxed and the flight feathers will touch the ground a little bit. When mine first started, I wasn't sure either, since the chickens put their wings out as a perch for the roos. I'll have to try to get a picture, but it sounds like that's what your girl is doing!

 

[Treebird]

Most of the cost goes into raising a turkey to adulthood. Once adults they eat less then a chicken.

 

[Treebird]

Oh no! de snooding? I can see de spuring but turkeys can't kill eachother with their snoods.

 

[Arielle]

LOL de-snood to save a tom from being tortured by another tom!

It's a bit destressing to see a snood covered in lots of tiny cuts. One tom refused to display and seemed depressed for a few days. Fortunately he was back to normal in about 2 days.

 

[Bettacreek]

I trim the beaks. Not at all like de-beaking, but like clipping a cat's claws. Just take the very tip off, where it's clear. I fon't get the bloody marks if I keep them trimmed.

 

[Treebird]

Whats wrong with plastic beak peepers?

 

[Celie]

No they never responded back. But thats ok I dont mind. If I really decide to sell him Ill find the right person The person that was interested has a petting farm and wanted to add a Tom, One of my boys would have been great they are super friendly. My hopes for right now are to to seperate 2 of the toms that way I can keep my 3 toms for now and then come spring keep a few of the female poults and raise them for my flock. But like I mentioned before this is my first year with turkeys so I need to make it through spring and summer with all the mating, eggs and poults and see how I do before I decide on increasing the flock.

I have been reading a lot of books written in the beginning through the middle of the 1900's and they suggest letting the hens out to forage with one tom in the morning and then switching and letting the second tom out in the afternoon. They say that this insures greater fertility, because like someone else mentioned, neither tom will let the other mate. I guess I have overly tranquil toms, because I have better than 98% fertility with 13 toms and 13 hens, all free ranging together. They seem to seperate into 2 or 3 groups that like to hang with other, sort of like a click, and every once in a while, one will get into a challenging match and ruffle up his feathers, but nothing serious. I guess I just got lucky with very laid back toms!

Thanks.

And yes, I find them to be not as friendly (just a little skittish) if they are raised by turkeys or chickens but at the same time still a little friendly (if that makes sense). When I raise them myself and handle them every day, they are VERY tame and friendly. For some reason, I find ALL of the toms VERY friendly either way. The males are THE most friendliest in the bunch. And I have no idea why.

I literally have to walk around them when I am in the chicken yard. They will not get out of my way.

Do you find that males are more outgoing and females more reserved in most bird breeds? Turkeys are the most curious birds I have ever raised!

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?

All of my poultry roost in the same large open barn, in which they all put themselves away every evening right before dark. Anywhere the geese go the ducks follow. The hens and Roosters like to get first dibs at the choice roosts and the more dominate ones take the higher roosting places. We made a tall roost for the turkeys, but they all seem to want to be in the roof rafters, except for the hens, most of which rather sleep in their nests, under the overturned dog carrier halves, usually 2 or 3 together. All I do is go and close the barn doors about dark-thirty and open them for the stampede about 7am. They are fed their first meal of the day there as well as their last, so they keep following the same schedule.

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.

I have never let my turkeys hatch and brood their own poults, but I have read that if a hen hatches and broods her own young, they will be a lot better at foraging and less tame, than if the eggs are incubated and the poults raised by people, for the first 8 weeks or so. I have also read and been told that they go broody at the drop of a hat? My hens are so used to me taking the eggs from under them, now they just stand when they see me coming and sit back down after I have gathered the eggs ! LOL

I am glad to hear that when they reach adult age, they eat less, but I don't think mine get that memo yet, because those little buggers can really eat. Ducks and Geese are much better foragers, but I hand raised all my turkeys, so far !

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?

Like a sex link Turkey? I get it, Great !

I thought everybody had to wait until they get their adult feathers and features to sex turkeys like with the white feathered birds.

I really enjoy the gamebird pellets that I have been purchasing. I think it's 26% protein and it's $14.95 for a 50 lb bag. I have been doing monthly trips to this feed store that is about an hour away. They make their own feed and I really like the feed and the price . I have noticed that the eggs are HUGE since using the new feed. This weekend (Saturday) is my monthly trip. I feed it to all of the animals and it lasts a long time. I hope you find the feed that works for you.

If the price of BOSS (Black Oil Sunflower Seeds) would go down, I could start feeding that again.

I also use to feed catfish pellets. They have 30% protein. Anyone ever try the catfish pellets?

That is a great price for 26% protein feed, they cost more where I am glad you brought up the fish pellets, I keep forgetting to inquire if my feed store can get them and for how much?

The BOSS is $28 where I am, but they last a while, as I feed them as treats and give them to my rabbits, too. They really condition fur and feathers. I was thinking of planting some in the spring, because they are kind of pricey. I find the price of some pellets got a little cheaper since winter and I expected the prices to be higher, since the flocks have to be fed more with less foraging. Even the rabbit feed came down almost $1 a sack, which really surprises me, since there are so little grass?

I trim the beaks. Not at all like de-beaking, but like clipping a cat's claws. Just take the very tip off, where it's clear. I fon't get the bloody marks if I keep them trimmed.

I do not trim beaks, snoods or anything else, except for spurs, so they don't accidentally injure the hen's sides during mating. My toms will challenge each other until they work out their pecking order, and sometimes, they will butt chests together and see who can puff up bigger. Sometimes it can go as far as pulling on each other's snoods, until somebody backs down and runs away, but they have never drawn BLOOD ! Wow, I wonder if Holland Whites are just meeker than other heritage breeds?

 

[fowlsessed]

Celie, sure sound like you have a well-behaved bunch of birds, lol

 

[kuntrygirl]

So when do turkeys reach breeding age?

My March 2012 hen hatch has been laying eggs and the boys are mounting.

 

[kuntrygirl]

So, I'm having a brain fart on production ages in turkeys. Someone has two year olds for sale and I'd like to get a few more hennies. How much more production will be left from these ladies? I'm only getting one egg per day from two hens currently.

2 years old is not bad. You can still get production. My older hens are still laying eggs. How much are they selling them?