Turkeys For 2013

[Arielle]

I bought a few Auburns from Porters and I'm rather wondering about the breeding of these birds, meaning their history, and how the breed developed, DOes any one know ? Are they an old breed or a new breed?

 

[Ryan521]

Just picked up my eggs this morning. I'll put them in the incubator tomorrow morning and hopefully have 8 poults by march 22.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Pics of the babies ... 14 white hollands. They are SO sweet and come running to us when we reach down into the brooder for some reason. We put in food and water last night and I started to show them how to drink. After I did about three of them, the others all came to check us out and lined up along the waterer and started drinking on their own. I haven't shown any of them the food and they are already eating it. AND they've already found my wedding band to peck at. Shiny things rule!!

LOOK HOW CUTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on a great hatch !!!!!

 

[Marengoite]

I bought a few Auburns from Porters and I'm rather wondering about the breeding of these birds, meaning their history, and how the breed developed, DOes any one know ? Are they an old breed or a new breed?

Hi, Arielle.

I think Kevin is working on recreating them. He's a whiz with turkey genetics and seems to know what he's talking about. You can give him a call from the phone number off his site. I've never been able to get through directly to him, but if you leave your name and number, he's really good about calling back. And if you have lots of questions, he's very good about explaining stuff, going into detail, and all that. Give him a call and see what he has to say.

rick

 

[Coop Cleaner]

Another concern I have about ordering hatching eggs is - if I order eggs from California and I live in Iowa will the eggs arrive within their viable period.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I found this pic online and I thought this was a good pic explaining the difference between the two sexes. Most of us know what we have but there may be someone who may have questions.

 

[Celie]

I've got a question about incubating turkey eggs. I'm receiving my first 6 eggs in a few days, and I've never hatched turkeys before. I've hatched out a couple batches of chicks, and when i get to lock-down what i do is set the eggs pointed end down in an egg flat that I've precut to size. Can i do this with turkey eggs or should i lie them on their sides when i get to that point. I should mention that with my method i have a 75% or better hatch rate on eggs my birds have layed, and 50% with shipped eggs. Any help or opinions would be great.

I hatch turkey eggs just like I do chicken eggs, but don't expect the same hatch rate for shipped eggs as you get with your own. The postal system is not all that careful with eggs!

Another concern I have about ordering hatching eggs is - if I order eggs from California and I live in Iowa will the eggs arrive within their viable period.

That all depends how fresh they are when they are shipped. Mail will probably take 3 days, which is not a problem, but if they are x-rayed, don't expect any to hatch. Ask the person you are buying them from to mark the box well that they are fragile and perishable eggs and let your PO know to call you when they arrive, so they do not spend the day in the delivery person's vehicle, getting bumped around!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Additionally, if you stand the eggs up in the Brinsea, or at least lean them at an angle, you can fit more in. Laying down you can get between 9-12 depending on size and how you arrange them. Standing them, I can fit 17 plus 5 or so duck eggs as well.

I could only fit 6 goose eggs in my incubator when I layed them down but I could fit 12 when I stood them up. This weekend is "Bator Time".

 

[Celie]

A funny thing happened today, that you might enjoy hearing. DH has a habit of throwing his lit cigarette butts onto the wet grass after finishing his first cigarette of the morning. Well in all this rain, we have had a lot of wet grass mornings. So this morning he threw the butt just as some of the toms were coming around the side of the house, to see if the dogs had left any food on their plates, like they do every morning, and when they saw Hubby, toss that butt, they all come running. The first one to reach picked it up in his beak, like he was smoking it, then when 2 of them could not stop in time on the wet grass, they piled into him, knocking it out of his mouth. The fourth tom, then had it and the chase began. We were so afraid that one of them would get burned, so we tried to take it away! Those turkeys were running all over the place, grabbing the cigarette from each other. I am sure it was a funny sight, about a dozen turkeys playing football with that butt, and us 2 crazy people slipping and sliding, to try to catch the one with it, before he could pass it to one of his team mates. We were both soaked and gave up, exhausted. Then a chicken hen picked it when the tom finally dropped it, brought it to the porch and put it into the dog's plate and waited for her reward! LOL

 

[r4eboxer]

A funny thing happened today, that you might enjoy hearing. DH has a habit of throwing his lit cigarette butts onto the wet grass after finishing his first cigarette of the morning. Well in all this rain, we have had a lot of wet grass mornings. So this morning he threw the butt just as some of the toms were coming around the side of the house, to see if the dogs had left any food on their plates, like they do every morning, and when they saw Hubby, toss that butt, they all come running. The first one to reach picked it up in his beak, like he was smoking it, then when 2 of them could not stop in time on the wet grass, they piled into him, knocking it out of his mouth. The fourth tom, then had it and the chase began. We were so afraid that one of them would get burned, so we tried to take it away! Those turkeys were running all over the place, grabbing the cigarette from each other. I am sure it was a funny sight, about a dozen turkeys playing football with that butt, and us 2 crazy people slipping and sliding, to try to catch the one with it, before he could pass it to one of his team mates. We were both soaked and gave up, exhausted. Then a chicken hen picked it when the tom finally dropped it, brought it to the porch and put it into the dog's plate and waited for her reward! LOL

OMG, I am laughing hysterically, every sentence was funnier than the last. I can just picture that silly Tom smoking that stick haha heehee, and then the chicken...oohhh my I hope she got a delicious treat.