Turkeys For 2013

[Arielle]

I need to get everybody moved. Big, big guys go to the main flock (a duck, a leghorn cockerel and a leghorn/brahma pullet) and the poults either need to go with the seramas and quail, or I need cage brooders, because boy am I tired of chasing turkey poults all over the basement here! I have one that is ALWAYS out, another that is out about half of the time and then the third seems to come out for a party once in awhile, but the little dark one and the younger one seem to stay put where it's warm, lol.

too funny!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Congrats on the FIRST egg!!!! Beautiful isn't it!!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Hot wire seems to be the most recommended for domestic hogs; the idea is to train the pilets to it. I can't see a wild boar respecting it-- too much of a good thing on the other side. Too bad you can harvest some of those wild boar--I've heard restaurants pay big bucks for that tastey meat.

I don't have any wild boar here; rather neighbors might be my only problem! lol For now I am shelving hogs. Maybe next year. THis year I'll focus on fencing, and moving flock of sheep and flock of chickens around to improve the land a bit.ANd I'm looking at fruit trees to plant for the animals and us. I've been eading the blog at Sugar Mountain Farm and JOel Salatin. I'm rethinking what to do with the farm here. Both are loaded, I read until 1-2 in the morning!! Good stuff.

We are allowed to shoot the hogs on sight 24/7: They are considered a nuisance animal here. I didn't see any for the first 3 years we lived here and then last summer was having a sighting every week. I watched one ram a hole through the neighbors no climb horse fencing: It just kept backing up and ramming the fence until it made a hole big enough to get out!

I love Polyface farms: Joel is a pretty neat guy. Have you watched the movie Fresh? It is available for free on Amazon videos and is on Netflix streaming. We are going to be making a Salatin style "egg mobile" over the next few weeks here. The neighbor sold us his old 22' travel trailer for $35. I can get some used tires on it, gut the interior, put in some vinyl flooring,and install some perches...then we can move it around the property with the tractor!

 

[jade0206]

i been wanting to get two turkeys male and female, but it seems so hard to get them when they are little because alot of people do not sex them, can anyone let me know when i go to pick out the poults anything i should look for?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Well I was going to post some new pics of the babies but my computer isn't playing today so I'll have to try again later. Sigh. Having a blizzard today so the birds are all cooped up and not happy with us. What kind of goat is that tiny one? He is so cute but I didn't know they could be so small. We want to get Nigerian dwarf goats but I haven't been able to find any within three hours of us. If we could have full size ones, we could get some from a neighbor who is selling all of theirs. Oh well. Glad to see everyone's having good hatches.

The teeny goats father was 1/2 Myatonic and 1/2 Nigerian and the mother Spanish meat goat. This is what the tiny little guy looks like now. These were taken last fall.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Hot wire seems to be the most recommended for domestic hogs; the idea is to train the pilets to it. I can't see a wild boar respecting it-- too much of a good thing on the other side. Too bad you can harvest some of those wild boar--I've heard restaurants pay big bucks for that tastey meat. I don't have any wild boar here; rather neighbors might be my only problem! lol For now I am shelving hogs. Maybe next year. THis year I'll focus on fencing, and moving flock of sheep and flock of chickens around to improve the land a bit.ANd I'm looking at fruit trees to plant for the animals and us. I've been eading the blog at Sugar Mountain Farm and JOel Salatin. I'm rethinking what to do with the farm here. Both are loaded, I read until 1-2 in the morning!! Good stuff.

We are allowed to shoot the hogs on sight 24/7: They are considered a nuisance animal here. I didn't see any for the first 3 years we lived here and then last summer was having a sighting every week. I watched one ram a hole through the neighbors no climb horse fencing: It just kept backing up and ramming the fence until it made a hole big enough to get out! I love Polyface farms: Joel is a pretty neat guy. Have you watched the movie Fresh? It is available for free on Amazon videos and is on Netflix streaming. We are going to be making a Salatin style "egg mobile" over the next few weeks here. The neighbor sold us his old 22' travel trailer for $35. I can get some used tires on it, gut the interior, put in some vinyl flooring,and install some perches...then we can move it around the property with the tractor!

Do you slaughter them after you shoot them?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Trouble with geese eggs already. Humidity was at 30 this morning with sponges in both trays and both trays filled with water. The little thing-a-ma-jig (tray) that I bought last time for the turkey eggs is not working this time because the goose eggs are so heavy and for some reason, the top of the bator is not fitting. I guess I will have to go buy more sponges?

 

[kuntrygirl]

We will be having some cold nights this week, so I'm glad I put the heat lamp out there for the older poults.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Do you slaughter them after you shoot them?

I haven't gotten lucky enough to get one yet. If I do, he will be sent to the freezer: I don't like wasting things, especially things you can eat.
The neighbors that have gotten them dress them and either have a hog roast or throw them in a chest freezer whole. After they are frozen they use a sawzall to cut them down into more manageable pieces.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Trouble with geese eggs already. Humidity was at 30 this morning with sponges in both trays and both trays filled with water. The little thing-a-ma-jig (tray) that I bought last time for the turkey eggs is not working this time because the goose eggs are so heavy and for some reason, the top of the bator is not fitting. I guess I will have to go buy more sponges?

I DO NOT ADD WATER to the goose eggs while they are incubating: Our atmosphere and the moisture they are losing is humidity enough. If you add water they may not lose enough weight/moisture to hatch properly. After day six, you will start taking off the top of the incubator to let the eggs cool and then use a spray bottle to mist them with water. As to the top not closing......The top of the Brinsea has some little fins on the inside: One of those is probably hitting the top of the eggs. If the eggs are standing up they may be too tall, so you will have to slant them. Watch the underside of the lid when you are trying to close it and see where it is hitting.