Turkeys For 2013

[Sally8]

NOW for something completely different: A question[/B]. Two of my turkey hens are about 6 weeks older than my other four. The two older girls started laying several weeks ago, and laid well till last week. I have not gotten an egg in 8 days, but they are still very actively mating. Nobody is sick and they all are very active, eating well, and running around playing. Is it common for first year layers to start then stop like that? The younger girls haven't started yet, so I hope they kick in soon: I have orders to fill!

My Rosie laid eggs for several weeks and stopped for 10 days or so. Now she's sitting on eggs.

 

[kuntrygirl]

lol  you were talking turkeys-- sounds like you were on topic! 

 

[kuntrygirl]

19 turkey eggs in the bator still cooking away ... The three babies are doing great and growing like mad and trying to fly out of the box. One of them chirps all the time, even when it's asleep. Why do they do that? It's not the first one we've had that has done that. Has anyone shipped live turkeys poults before through the mail? I'm not talking about having them shipped to you, but you shipping them to someone else. I have a friend in Washington state that wants some turkeys and I was going to send her some of my 19 in the bator if they hatch but I want to make sure they get there alive without spending an exorbitant amount of money. I'm more comfortable sending eggs as I can wrap them and such, but baby turkeys are so fragile and need warmth. Any hints?

I had a horrible experience.  I ordered poults from a hatchery they sent 19 and 3 survived.  If you decide to ship please put warming packs, shavings or hay in the shipping box.  It took 3 days for the poults to get from vw to louisiana.  It was terrible opening the box and the poults were dead.  The hatchery refunded my money, but I rather have had the poults.  I told them their shipping method was horrible with the nights in the 30's, without warming packs.  I would have paid for the warming packs, but wasn't given the option.  They should have covered the side holes on the box and left one or two on the top opened.  
If you ship please let us know they made it safe to their new home.

Sorry to hear about the poults. Poor babies. That's why I don't like to ship babies. I'm too scared that something like that may happen.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I don't mean to change the subject, but I was wondering if anyone wanted to share any tricks or techniques they have with Turkeys on this thread? For instant, when I hatch out poults, I also put some chicken eggs in the incubator, too, because I find it a lot easier to let the chicks, show the poults the "ropes" on eating and drinking in the brooder. It also provides body warmth for both birds to snuggle together. If I sell any day or two old poults, I put a free chick in the box, too, for the same reason. Does anyone else have something to share? 

I find what works best is the "marble" and "foil" method. The shiny marbles are placed in the base of the waterer and it throws off a reflection as does the aluminum foil that I use to put the feed on. When they see this, they start pecking at the marbles and come up with water. When they see the foil shinning, they peck at it and come up with food. This is how they start eating for me. Works every time.

 

[Bettacreek]

How long do poults usually take to hatch? Are they like ducks, where they take three days from pip to hatch?

 

[kuntrygirl]

How long do poults usually take to hatch? Are they like ducks, where they take three days from pip to hatch?

28 days but some do hatch early.

 

[Celie]

Turkey eggs peep and zipper about the same speed as chicks, for me at least !
I use the small hole waterers that screw onto a quart jar, so marbles are not needed, but if I had a larger brooder, like you Kuntrygirl, I would use a small size indoor dog waterer with a gravity fed water bottle, with the marbles. I cannot use either for ducklings for long, because as soon as the ducks get large enough to move the marbles with their bills, they take them out of the bowl! LOL Those little buggers!

Our main postal hub in Louisiana is located in N.O., so it is too far for most to drive there for a pickup. The postal system does not guarantee any time on when shipments arrive, anymore. They give an estimated delivery time, If you ship overnight, after 2pm, it will take 2 days. Shortly the postal system is suppose to go to a 5 day a week schedule, which may further complicate shipping!

 

[Bettacreek]

Okay, thank you. I'll leave them alone until late tonight or tomorrow morning then.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

My Rosie laid eggs for several weeks and stopped for 10 days or so. Now she's sitting on eggs.

Well, I am a big meanie and steal all the eggs to put into the incubator. Both my son and I have checked very carefully everywhere in, on, and around the turkey coop, pen, and surrounding area looking for eggs: Didn't find a one. Yesterday, we were working outside so kept a very careful eye on them. They keep going into the nesting box and sitting for a couple minutes, but never make any deposits. They don't feel egg bound and are eating, drinking, mating, and playing normally.
So, I just wondered if this is typical behavior for first year laying hens. BTW...my birds are Beltsville Small Whites that I got from Jerry Poole last spring via hatching eggs.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Turkey eggs peep and zipper about the same speed as chicks, for me at least ! 
I use the small hole waterers that screw onto a quart jar, so marbles are not needed, but if I had a larger brooder, like you Kuntrygirl, I would use a small size indoor dog waterer with a gravity fed water bottle, with the marbles. I cannot use either for ducklings for long, because as soon as the ducks get large enough to move the marbles with their bills, they take them out of the bowl! LOL Those little buggers!
Our  main postal hub in Louisiana is located in N.O., so it is too far for most to drive there for a pickup. The postal system does not guarantee any time on when shipments arrive, anymore. They give an estimated delivery time, If you ship overnight, after 2pm, it will take 2 days. Shortly the postal system is suppose to go to a 5 day a week schedule, which may further complicate shipping!

Okay, thank you. I'll leave them alone until late tonight or tomorrow morning then.

I have those as well but I don't use those until the poults learn how to drink and eat. That's the tricky part for me. I start them off with marbles because when I hatch them in the bator or under a chicken and I take them from under the broody hen, it takes them a bit to catch on to how to eat and drink with no mama in there with them. Once I see them eating and drinking, then I put in the big girl and big boy feeders and waterers.