Turkeys For 2013

[fowlsessed]

Kuntrygirl, lol. I'm finding $50 to be too much. lol

 

[kuntrygirl]

Kuntrygirl, lol. I'm finding $50 to be too much. lol

Too much??? Too much for what?? Say it ain't so. Lol

 

[chicken pickin]

Too much??? Too much for what?? Say it ain't so. Lol

If I didnt have turkeys and was looking to get into them Id say too much also and move on. But because I do have turkeys and raise them and know whats been put into them to get them there, Im right with you they are worth more money. I dont know if Id ever charge $100 a hen, but I can see why someone might.

 

[fowlsessed]

lol........

 

[Bettacreek]

Everything is dirt cheap here. Twenty five to thirty bucks a pop. Almost bought some two year olds for ten a pop, but the big G said no.

 

[Celie]

Celie, yes I agree with you in that the males are more outgoing than the females.

And yes, like a sex link. I cannot find anyone else who has had this happen. The light colored poults have only been hatching a few years now.

I really want to splurge and get some BOSS but it is SO expensive. It's up to $29.99 at TSC. That is a big chunk of change.

Yes, it is, that's why I just feed it as a treat. I give the rabbits about a pint to a 50# bag of feed and throw the feathered livestock a handful or two every few days! I feed them well, so they will feed me well.

TOO MANY!

Seriously though, I am down to 19 turkeys. I have 8 toms and 11 hens.

I have given away a couple Toms to a few nice people that I communicate with in my area and were looking to buy a tom. I gifted them a turkey. I have 2 people wanting to buy some of my Toms, so I will sell a few more and will put the remaining Toms in the freezer. With my luck, this year's hatching will yield 95% males.

Although, I have too many males, I can say that I do not have an infertility problems with the eggs. All eggs have been hatching. I set another 12 in the bator Sunday night, so I will see what happens with those.

Kuntrygirl, I usually wind up with half and half, right now I have 13 hens and 13 toms. I would sell some toms, but I feel like if I charged someone $50. for a 15 month old turkey, they would feel like they were being ripped off, so I guess, unless someone actually makes ME an offer like that, I am more comfortable putting them into the freezer at 18 months, and getting 30+ pounds of turkey, for around $1.66 per pound. A lot less than the $6. a pound rabbit is selling for, or $20 for a duck!

IMO infertility issues happen with two males, when one cannot dominate, or is having to protect his girls and doesn't get time to do his other job. THat is the reason for odd numbers of males in groups.

I looked over the sweetgrass yesterday-- looks like two hens anad a tom !! NOw to put hands on him and feel for the beard.

Out to check waters-- getting colder and colder this week. I put out raked up leaves for them to walk on.THey seem to like scratching in the leaves. GLad to have hot water piped outside!!

So, does that mean I should keep the 13 toms, since it is an odd number? Some hens also grow beards, too, so that is not a thing I look for, but feathers up the back of the head is a sure sign that it is a hen, and bald is a sure sign it is a tom. I think it hit close to 70 today. I sure am glad I live in the south !!!LOL

I tried to capture a pic at night of where my turkeys roost at night. These are horrible pics because it is night time, so please excuse the bad pics. I'm lucky that I don't have predators in my area.

Great looking birds !!!

Ok, I took pics last night of the darkest colored poult and the light poult that I was talking about on yesterday. Here goes..............

Light Colored Poult:


Dark Colored Poult:


Poults Together



Celie, do you think it's possible to have sex linked Turkeys? That is an excellent topic of discussion that you brought up. I never thought about that.

Anyone else find light colored poults in their bunch?

I tried to get a few pic of the light colored hens but one of they were flying in the tree to roost, so I couldn't get a good pic, so I will try again today after work.

All of the people who ask if we think they have a hen or a tom, would probably have an easier time telling if they were sex-link, but I don't Know how a heritage Bird would be sex-link, unless it was a hybrid???? I just don't know, but we could sell them a trio a lot easier if we know what they were before they were months old!

I weighed the poults last night and their weights range from 1.6 oz (the newly hatched poults a few days ago) to 4.6 oz (the first poult to hatch). And then the weights staggered as did the hatches.

I will try to weigh weekly to see what they are averaging each week as far as weight gain. They are currently on 30% protein game bird Startena feed. It costs about $18.50 for a 50lb bag. They will be on this for several months.

Girl, I can't afford Purina Brand, but buy their second line, Home Grown that the feed store says is owned by Purina. The Home Grown Turkey & Quail Starter 30% crumbles is what I feed my hatchlings, weather they are poults, ducklings, goslings, or chicks. I don't remember what they cost, but I know we never paid $18.50 a sack !!!

Im in NH also and my Bourbon Reds are also 7 months. I havent noticed mating with mine yet but my hen lays down for me and has for about a month. Im excited for eggs. Keep us posted on whether or not they look to be successfully mating and also once your hens start laying.

Around 9 months old or in February, whichever comes first, White Holland Turkeys in Louisiana, will start laying. This year they started early, so maybe it means a mild winter and an early spring!!! God gave animals and nature a built in clock that we humans do not have. Look at your oldest old Oak tree and when it starts to bud out, spring is right around the corner!!!

Another question, in trying to make my decision between MW's and BR's I think this is going to be the deciding factor.......Do the MW's eat significantly less than the BR's, considering the size difference?
Thanks again,
(MW's = Midget Whites and BR's = Bourbon Reds)

I don't know either, about feed, but might help you decide is Bourbon Reds are mid sized, along with Narrasettes, Slates, and a few others and have Beautiful dark feathers. Midget Whites are suppose to be small, like big chicken size, around 12 #'s and have white feathers, so when you process them, there are no dark pin feathers, that's why when they bred the BBW for market, commercial breed, they chose to make them white, they are easier to dress out and a nicer looking bird. I want some of both this year.

You won'd even need to talk to him-- it is listed on the Auburn page. I have a few auburns, well , more than a few,lol, just need a bronze to make sexlinks..

Would that make them a mutt???

We have an Auburn Tom from Porters and asked Kevin Porter that same question...

Auburn Tom to a Brone hen will give you Auburn Hen (pure), and bronze toms (carrying the brown gene)

the Bronze tom to Auburn hen will result in all bronze offspring the hens pure bronze and toms that are brown carriers.

that sumarizes his response to us

RobertH

So the Auburn gene must be dominate and the bronze carries an auburn gene. Or does the tom always carry the feather coloring gene, like a rooster carries the egg color gene in his DNA?

Everything is dirt cheap here. Twenty five to thirty bucks a pop. Almost bought some two year olds for ten a pop, but the big G said no.

Why? Is the economy that much worse there? Or are you overpopulated with turkeys? That is what I read about MN !

 

[Celie]

Has anyone figured out what makes up the protein % in the more expensive, higher protein feeds? The ingredients label says Plant Protein< but the highest protein plant I know of is Legumes, such as soybeans. So, why can't we just grow some and buy the cheaper grains and vitamins and mix our own? Has anyone done that and if so, how did it come out?

Summer vegetable gardens start being planted on Feb. 15th here !

 

[Bettacreek]

We're actually one of the few "recession-proof" areas. But, we've got major ag areas butted up against a large college town. Amish city here, lol. So, our feed doesn't travel anywhere, every amish farm is pumping out as many birds as possible and then we have quite a few regular farms and hobby breeders. Works for me though. When you can buy a lamb fully grown out and have itbutchered for you for cheaper than the grocery stores sell cheap ground beef, I'll take it!

 

[larry529]

If you had 15 BR turkeys, and you had some free range and some feed, can you take a just a guess how many 50 # bags of feed you would need to get to say 20 weeks?

 

[Arielle]

YOu can keep any odd number: 3, 5, 7,9 , 11, 13 !! If my chickens are any clue, he boys hang out together and do a good job of watching over their hens. Only a few males are kept away actively.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arielle

IMO infertility issues happen with two males, when one cannot dominate, or is having to protect his girls and doesn't get time to do his other job. THat is the reason for odd numbers of males in groups.

I looked over the sweetgrass yesterday-- looks like two hens anad a tom !! NOw to put hands on him and feel for the beard.

Out to check waters-- getting colder and colder this week. I put out raked up leaves for them to walk on.THey seem to like scratching in the leaves. GLad to have hot water piped outside!!

So, does that mean I should keep the 13 toms, since it is an odd number? Some hens also grow beards, too, so that is not a thing I look for, but feathers up the back of the head is a sure sign that it is a hen, and bald is a sure sign it is a tom. I think it hit close to 70 today. I sure am glad I live in the south !!!LOL

You won'd even need to talk to him-- it is listed on the Auburn page. I have a few auburns, well , more than a few,lol, just need a bronze to make sexlinks..

Would that make them a mutt???

Has anyone figured out what makes up the protein % in the more expensive, higher protein feeds? The ingredients label says Plant Protein< but the highest protein plant I know of is Legumes, such as soybeans. So, why can't we just grow some and buy the cheaper grains and vitamins and mix our own? Has anyone done that and if so, how did it come out?

Summer vegetable gardens start being planted on Feb. 15th here !

SOybean is expensive. Usually it is the plant protein used in feeds. If 20# is added to make a 100# bag of feed, that bag is about 10% protein. If 60# is added, then it is about 30% protein. If meat products are used, that is a better quality protein, meaning the amino acids are in the right ratio to make muscles and proteins in the birds.

I'm all for producing what we can at home to feed our creatures. Certainly the greens are a healthy benefit to us and them.

We're actually one of the few "recession-proof" areas. But, we've got major ag areas butted up against a large college town. Amish city here, lol. So, our feed doesn't travel anywhere, every amish farm is pumping out as many birds as possible and then we have quite a few regular farms and hobby breeders. Works for me though. When you can buy a lamb fully grown out and have itbutchered for you for cheaper than the grocery stores sell cheap ground beef, I'll take it!

LOve it!!! SHows local production can be worth while!

If you had 15 BR turkeys, and you had some free range and some feed, can you take a just a guess how many 50 # bags of feed you would need to get to say 20 weeks?

I use one of the big hatchery sites to calculate my needs, it is an over estimation if you are feeding BR, but it should help. Try Ideal, or Meyers and look under the BBW for the amout of grain by BW the bird needs to eat a week.