Turkeys For 2013

[kuntrygirl]

Celie, I am getting a great hatch rate BUT there was a problem with them getting out of the egg. Remember I had one poult that took almost 3 days to get out of the shell? Well, I"m thinking that has something to do with what we are talking about as far as increasing the humidity so that they can tear out of the egg with no problems.

Glad to hear that turning the eggs 3 times is good. I may try to get another smaller bator and hatch "something". Not sure what. :/

 

[kuntrygirl]

Question.................. How often should eggs be turned in an incubator? The reason that I'm asking is because if I were to get a cheap Styrofoam incubator with no egg turners and if I turned the eggs 2 times a day, would that be enough? I have a full time job and I leave out at 7AM and I don't get home until 5:30PM. Would the time at home be enough for me to hand turn if I am away from home all day. Could I turn the eggs when I wake up, when I return from home and possibly before I go to bed. Is that day time turn crucial in the incubation period. Any thoughts?

The more the better. Looks like you can get in three turns.  While they will uneven in the number of hours: 10-4-10, the next day the opposite side would have the longer times therefore even out in the long run. Honestly I don't see how a broody can complete turn an egg; my impression of a broody chicken hen is that she is fussing at the eggs trying to rearrange things but honestly I can't see how she can get all the eggs turned. This is from observing a hen on a make shift pit of a nest packed full of eggs. Eggs three layers down hatched-- just don't see how it could get major turning like the top eggs could.  IMO i think just budging the eggs has an mpact on the embryo as if to say, I'm here, I'm keeping you warm, and I'll fuss over you.  My impression is that she does a great job of keeping the temp fairly steady. I have read some studies on the hatch rate of WHEN the eggs are turned, beginning, middle and end, The more the eggs are turned the better, and eggs do need turning thruout for the best results. Even a hen is fussing right thru hatching ( lockdown). 

So if you have a day when only two turns are possible, in the end it won't really matter, especially if you are using a fored air type and the temp is even all around the egg.  IMO still air ( top of egg closest to heating element) needs careful and regular turning. 

I don't have a turner. ANd don't plan to. Sorry for the long winded lecture.

Arielle, you bring up an EXCELLENT point because I thought about the same thing. How does a broody hen "turn" or rotate her eggs 3 times a day? I don't think that's possible and their eggs hatch ok.

P.S. We like long winded lectures.

It's called teaching and learning and discussing and sharing information.

 

[kuntrygirl]

How about we talk about turkey health? Anyone have any topics that they want to discuss, questions, etc? I would like to ask everyone who has turkeys if they de-worm their turkeys and if so, how often and what do you use? Do you vaccinate for Pox or any other diseases? Do you dust for lice and mites? Do your turkeys dust bath like chickens? What illnesses or diseases have you had problems with in the past with your turkeys and how have you dealt wit ti.

Who wants to go first?

 

[IAFarmGirl]

 

[larry529]

is that fresh pop corn, or pop corn in a bag lol

 

[fowlsessed]

I'll say one thing. Apart from good feed and water and proper housing, worming is about the best thing you can do to keep your birds in good health. It's amazing I didn't worm before. Yes, I don't have experience with turkeys in particular, but this applies for all poultry, turkeys, chickens, pigeons etc. I use the Ivomectin injectable cattle wormer, the 1% tincture stuff that comes in a little bottle. It's very safe with a wide margin for error, yet it's thorough and effective against most parasites/worms and it works both internally and externally. It's expensive for some, but my local farm store has the bottle for about $30 and I give the pigeons three drops in the mouth and then repeat 21 days later. So it will go a long way. You can do the same thing at the base of the neck for better external control. I still like to dust my birds down, not sure it's necessary, though.

 

[fowlsessed]

double post

 

[r4eboxer]

The more the better. Looks like you can get in three turns. While they will uneven in the number of hours: 10-4-10, the next day the opposite side would have the longer times therefore even out in the long run. Honestly I don't see how a broody can complete turn an egg; my impression of a broody chicken hen is that she is fussing at the eggs trying to rearrange things but honestly I can't see how she can get all the eggs turned. This is from observing a hen on a make shift pit of a nest packed full of eggs. Eggs three layers down hatched-- just don't see how it could get major turning like the top eggs could. IMO i think just budging the eggs has an mpact on the embryo as if to say, I'm here, I'm keeping you warm, and I'll fuss over you. My impression is that she does a great job of keeping the temp fairly steady. I have read some studies on the hatch rate of WHEN the eggs are turned, beginning, middle and end, The more the eggs are turned the better, and eggs do need turning thruout for the best results. Even a hen is fussing right thru hatching ( lockdown).

So if you have a day when only two turns are possible, in the end it won't really matter, especially if you are using a fored air type and the temp is even all around the egg. IMO still air ( top of egg closest to heating element) needs careful and regular turning.

I don't have a turner. ANd don't plan to. Sorry for the long winded lecture.

That's cute "I'll fuss over you" so much love in a mother hen.

How about we talk about turkey health? Anyone have any topics that they want to discuss, questions, etc? I would like to ask everyone who has turkeys if they de-worm their turkeys and if so, how often and what do you use? Do you vaccinate for Pox or any other diseases? Do you dust for lice and mites? Do your turkeys dust bath like chickens? What illnesses or diseases have you had problems with in the past with your turkeys and how have you dealt wit ti.

Who wants to go first?

Me me Pick me

. I use diatomaceous earth in and around the coop and under all my buildings. My turkeys dust bath the same way my chickens to. Their favorite spot is anywhere I'm trying to grow flowers, even if it is in a pot hanging from a tree

. I have a question about an illness, well I'm not sure if it was an illness or not. I had a Tom that got sick, he had runny yellow poo. He quit eating, I thought it was blackhead so I put him in sick bay and started antibiotics. He did not make it, he got some better but ended up dying. I figured I was going to see the illness in the rest of my flock as they were all free ranging together before I realized he was sick. None of the other Turkeys got sick, not even the sniffles. The tom did not show signs of scabbing on the head but I just figured it was blackhead due to them free ranging with chickens. I don't even know if black head is prevalent in my area. Here is what I am wondering... My MIL has Alzheimer's disease, my Turkeys were always roosting on her deck railing. She would come outside with a broom and hit them, (one of the biggest reasons I penned them up after I saw her do this) Could she had injured the turkey that made him get diarrhea and get sick?

I'll say one thing. Apart from good feed and water and proper housing, worming is about the best thing you can do to keep your birds in good health. It's amazing I didn't worm before. Yes, I don't have experience with turkeys in particular, but this applies for all poultry, turkeys, chickens, pigeons etc. I use the Ivomectin injectable cattle wormer, the 1% tincture stuff that comes in a little bottle. It's very safe with a wide margin for error, yet it's thorough and effective against most parasites/worms and it works both internally and externally. It's expensive for some, but my local farm store has the bottle for about $30 and I just give the chickens three drops in the mouth and then repeat 21 days later. So it will go a long way. You can do the same thing at the base of the neck for better external control. I still like to dust my birds down, not sure it's necessary, though.

Yep, I use ivermectin for my dogs too, I have one with some sort of allergy or something, so I have been giving him the dose once a week in case he has a mite. Ivermectin is also good for many forms of mites too

 

[fowlsessed]

And BTW, That dosage that I gave is what I use for my pigeons. Chickens get about 5 drops down the throat and then it's repeated in about 12 days. So, turkeys would need more. You can also use it in the drinking water, 1cc per quart of water with them for two days and then repeated in 10-14 days. Again, that's for chickens. Kills all internals except tapeworms.

 

[r4eboxer]

And BTW, That dosage that I gave is what I use for my pigeons. Chickens get about 5 drops down the throat and then it's repeated in about 12 days. So, turkeys would need more. You can also use it in the drinking water, 1cc per quart of water with them for two days and then repeated in 10-14 days. Again, that's for chickens. Kills all internals except tapeworms.

You reminded me fowlsessed, I bought a liquid wormer a few months ago and I've forgotten to add it to the water. I've even forgotten what it is, it may be ivermectin.

We've had that freezing weather here lately, but since it is suppose to warm up this weekend I'm going to pull it out and add it to the water. I've got about a month before breeding will start here. Is that enough time for the eggs to be clear or should I worry about that?