Turkeys For 2013

[1MrsMagoo]

I steel the eggs too! I read that some heritage birds like Narragansetts and Bourbon Reds take at least 9 to 10 months to sexually mature, Maybe yours are just not ready yet. I noticed that my Hollands would practice for a few weeks, before they actually started laying and that when they did, the time, they sat on their nests, would continue to increase until they finished laying for the year! Do your beltsvilles have blue eyes?
I love pictures of turkeys, Mine look more like pigs in all of this rain ! LOL

Good news about the eggs. One of my hens made a really nice nest in the nesting box and laid me an egg this afternoon.

I guess maybe they were scared of the new nesting box. We put it in right around the time they went on strike.

Strangely, some of the Beltsvilles have blue eyes and some brown: They all came from the same flock of birds and all the man has are Beltsvilles (he has real ones and even went to Canada and got a Tom from the University flock up there). The breeder, Jerry Poole, says all his birds have brown eyes, so it is weird that I ended up with some blue-eyed birds. Sadly, BOTH the birds the bobcat killed last year had brown eyes.

A couple of my hens were a muddy mess this afternoon. Somehow the rest of them stay completely clean, which I can't figure out at all.

I noticed the ones with blue have a stray black feather on them somewhere. My "Alpha" male and top female both have brown eyes.

 

[Celie]

Good news about the eggs. One of my hens made a really nice nest in the nesting box and laid me an egg this afternoon.

I guess maybe they were scared of the new nesting box. We put it in right around the time they went on strike.

Strangely, some of the Beltsvilles have blue eyes and some brown: They all came from the same flock of birds and all the man has are Beltsvilles (he has real ones and even went to Canada and got a Tom from the University flock up there). The breeder, Jerry Poole, says all his birds have brown eyes, so it is weird that I ended up with some blue-eyed birds. Sadly, BOTH the birds the bobcat killed last year had brown eyes.

A couple of my hens were a muddy mess this afternoon. Somehow the rest of them stay completely clean, which I can't figure out at all.

I noticed the ones with blue have a stray black feather on them somewhere. My "Alpha" male and top female both have brown eyes.

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!

The blue eyed gene is a recessive gene. I read somewhere that it was the original breeding stock for the Beltsville, then later to keep the turkeys small they were crossed with the Midget whites, bringing in the brown eyes, but the blue eyed genes being recessive, would show up once and a while, when both parents possessed this gene in their DNA. I don't remember exactly where I read this, but it came about when I was researching my Holland Whites, which was the original albino turkeys the Beltsville and BBW were bred from. I don't know, since the article told about a man who originally bred the Beltsville, said he got a hen to produce a fertile egg, without a tom, but when he brought the turkey home, his dog ate it ! This was suppose to be one in thousands of infertile eggs, so I say, "What a waste, when you already had toms?"

Personally, I love the blue eyes.

BTW, blue eyes will pop up every so often in the albino White New Zealand rabbits, too!

 

[erinszoo]

My White hollands all have blue eyes except one female who has one blue eye and one eye that is half blue and half brown. Strangest looking thing ever. It literally looks like someone drew a line down the middle of her eye and colored one half blue and one half brown.

Realized today I will have 19 poults born this time next week if they all hatch. The eggs are all still growing and moving. Guess I'm going to have to move the dining room table aside to make room for the other brooder for them. Ha! Just hope the guy who said he wanted to buy some still wants some or I'm going to have to lease some land somewhere to keep them. Guess we'll be hitting the auctions soon.

Anyone want white hollands? Not sure about shipping them but I would drive a couple of hours to meet people ...

 

[marans]

is there anyone in yakima washington or close to yakima washington selling turkeys any age?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Here are the first 6 poults I hatched this year in their big kid brooder. I am moving them to the big brooder in the garage for a couple weeks pretty soon and then to the brooder in the turkey area after they are more fully feathered. The turkeys headed for the back door to see if the chickens had any treats to steal last month. In their run last month.

I love the pics!!!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Here are the four so far. There's one still in there zipping away. He, err, SHE should be out within the hour! I started with 8 eggs for this set, if I remember correctly. I lost one at lockdown (it's still in there "just in case"), and the others quit earlier.

CUTENESS OVERLOAD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT !!!!!! e

 

[kuntrygirl]

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.

Kuntrygirl, I just have a crazy question, but I am just wondering. Since you work a regular job, How many poults can you use a 1/4 cup measure cup with? I guess the marbles make it too heavy for the babies to jump on the handle and spill the water?

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

How did they do?

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.

I steel the eggs too! I read that some heritage birds like Narragansetts and Bourbon Reds take at least 9 to 10 months to sexually mature, Maybe yours are just not ready yet. I noticed that my Hollands would practice for a few weeks, before they actually started laying and that when they did, the time, they sat on their nests, would continue to increase until they finished laying for the year! Do your beltsvilles have blue eyes?

Here are the first 6 poults I hatched this year in their big kid brooder. I am moving them to the big brooder in the garage for a couple weeks pretty soon and then to the brooder in the turkey area after they are more fully feathered. The turkeys headed for the back door to see if the chickens had any treats to steal last month. In their run last month.

I love pictures of turkeys, Mine look more like pigs in all of this rain ! LOL

As far as the measuring cup, I only use the measuring cup when I have 3 or less poults. The are not heavy enough to tip it over. And they only use that for 24 for 48 hours because after that they don't need it anymore because they have learned to drink and eat. They then graduate to the larger feeders and waterers.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!

The blue eyed gene is a recessive gene. I read somewhere that it was the original breeding stock for the Beltsville, then later to keep the turkeys small they were crossed with the Midget whites, bringing in the brown eyes, but the blue eyed genes being recessive, would show up once and a while, when both parents possessed this gene in their DNA. I don't remember exactly where I read this, but it came about when I was researching my Holland Whites, which was the original albino turkeys the Beltsville and BBW were bred from. I don't know, since the article told about a man who originally bred the Beltsville, said he got a hen to produce a fertile egg, without a tom, but when he brought the turkey home, his dog ate it ! This was suppose to be one in thousands of infertile eggs, so I say, "What a waste, when you already had toms?"

Personally, I love the blue eyes.

BTW, blue eyes will pop up every so often in the albino White New Zealand rabbits, too!

I have read several studies and papers (the stuffy, long-winded university research type papers) that have extensively studied parthenongenesis in turkeys (embryos develop in non-fertilzed eggs). Turkeys, Beltsville Small Whites in particular, have a higher instance of parthenogenesis than most other fowl or poultry (Dark Cornish have the highest instance in the breeds of chickens that have been tested).

In one study conducted in 1953 by the man to whom you are referring above (Dr. Olsen), he initially found that 14% of all eggs laid by female Beltsville's began to develop when incubated without a male being present. Indeed he took that first poult hatched via this method home for safe keeping only to have his dog kill it.

In the beginning of his study, 1% of the parthenogenic eggs hatched successfully with all offspring being male. He then selectively bred for this trait. Toward the end of his study, over 40% of the eggs were fertile without a male and 8% hatched. All offspring hatched from parthenogenic eggs will be male.

As to the blue eyes, this is what I found after digging around online: If a white turkey carries the genes for black (cc BB) they will have blue eyes. If they have the gene for bronze (cc bb) they will have brown eyes.

I like the blue eyes in the Beltsvilles too, but since that is not what the APA standard calls for, some people are not interested in them (My Pomeranian geese have blue eyes as well). So, I may have to separate them into two pens: Brown eyes in one and blue eyes in the other. Luckily, I do have a good enough mix to be able to do this if I want to.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Would you expand on how you managed the BBW hens to get to breeding age?? I was looking at the listing at the feed store and debating on betting any BBW or BBB for mixing with some of my heritage birds.

I like the ida of fast grwoing birds that don't eat as much feed-- but can still get around ok. I'm really not sure what direction

I'm going sometimes.

 

[Arielle]

My White hollands all have blue eyes except one female who has one blue eye and one eye that is half blue and half brown. Strangest looking thing ever. It literally looks like someone drew a line down the middle of her eye and colored one half blue and one half brown.

Realized today I will have 19 poults born this time next week if they all hatch. The eggs are all still growing and moving. Guess I'm going to have to move the dining room table aside to make room for the other brooder for them. Ha! Just hope the guy who said he wanted to buy some still wants some or I'm going to have to lease some land somewhere to keep them. Guess we'll be hitting the auctions soon.

Anyone want white hollands? Not sure about shipping them but I would drive a couple of hours to meet people ...

The eyes are a combo of two types of tissue-- skin and brain tissues ---so a small amount of embyronic skin is pinched off early in development and it becomes the colored part of the eye. That's how you can have two colors in one eye. Usually it is only one, but two can happen. Very cool!!!

WHite HOllands are tempting--how big are the breasts on these?? I"ve heard they can be much like a BBW.

is there anyone in yakima washington or close to yakima washington selling turkeys any age?

If you don't find anyone here, have you tried the Washington thread?? Someone there might know a local source.