Turkeys For 2013

[Alex Farmer]

I saw mine mating for some time before she started laying.  Just be patient.  I have a Bronze/Royal Palm tom and a Royal Palm hen.  Everything should be fine.

Thanks! How long will it take? Just wondering

 

[erinszoo]

Well, babies are doing great still. Haven't had any egg buys so we're debating on whether or not we will set another run of eggs in the bator. We're still waiting to see if we can sell some of the ones we have but I don't want to wait too long. One of our two month olds came down with a bum leg today. She was fine this morning and this afternoon, after being out in the outdoor pen, she started limping and we have no clue why. There are no visible injuries to it, it isn't swollen or anything. I'm guessing she maybe tried to fly and got caught on the fence and hurt her hip or knee but ... ????? We brought her inside and put her in a box with a heat lamp and food and water to see if she improves. What else could I do?

 

[Janiecoke]

Well that's gross but very interesting.

 

[Sally8]

Thanks! How long will it take? Just wondering

Rosie's first egg was on Jan 13, 2013. They were mating back before our deer season (Thanksgiving time) I might be off as to when they started mating but I think it was a good month or so. I'll bet she'll start very soon.

 

[Celie]

I do not anesthetize the area. As someone stated, it's like the corns on our feet. It's a VERY hard dead skin knot, so I use a new razor and gently cut the area around the scab. I'm not sure if there is anything to give for pain, but I will research to find out and post the answer. Good questions.

I was thinking maybe some tooth ache numbing drops like Ambisol could be used to numb the foot before cutting, but your tom sounds like there was very little pain involved. I could not try to remove the Bumble on the meat chicken's foot today, but will try to do it when I get back from the feed store in the morning. I hope the feed store got in the DE powder they have on order, it comes in a 40# bag, but I don't know how much to use, but I figure the shelf life on it should be fairly long. Are recomended amounts to use on the label? I have never used the food grade for animals before, but have bought a lot for pool filters before. Hubby says he will help hold the bird and assist, but he does sometime have a weak stomach. At least when it came to kids vomiting or changing pooped diapers! LOL By the way, Julie, do you diaper your tom while he is in the house on a comforter, healing? just wondering? I haven't trained any to a litter box, like you can do a rabbit. In fact, I don't have a litter box for the cats either. They are trained to use the Cat/Dog door and use the sandbox outside. I will try to get Hubby to take pics. as we go along with the Surgery.

 

[Sally8]

On a couple of occasions I had to have injections in the bottom of my foot. He sprayed the area with canned air. I'm not sure that it made a huge difference and it was only temporary. I clean houses and tomorrow I clean for my own doctor. I have a few questions anyway, I'll ask if he has any ideas on topical pain med's that would work on poultry. sue

 

[Arielle]

My two Bourbon Red turkey hens have each been laying an egg a day for a month. I incubated 6 eggs, four died fully formed without pipping. One I helped hatch after it pipped and it is doing well. The last egg is still alive but not pipped yet - four days late. I'm frustrated, and saddened by the loss. I have 35 more eggs in the bator and have been studying how to improve the hatch rate. The problem is, I added two eggs a day for a staggered hatch. Starting tomorrow they will begin hatching two a day. What should I have the humidity at? 50% or 80%?

I'm sure someone has answered this, but I'll give you my 2 cents worth.

I had poults hatch at the lower % also. I dry hatched in the summer when the humidity is much higher than now. Incubated at about 30%.

I built a second incubator just because of this problem with staggered hatches.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
We all keep learning!!

 

[Arielle]

I am sorry I have not been on, my neighbors hunting dogs got under the fence and into our pasture and killed my Silver turkey hen!! :'( I only have one baby girl from her but I have about a dozen of her eggs in the incubator!! So now I am desperately ISO a Silver Auburn young hen or more!!! I have been scouring the Internet for breeders, but considering the Auburns are the rarest heritage breed and the silvers are even more so, I am not having any luck!! I was sick about it for days!!!

Porters has silvers.

Sorry--dogs. Even my dogs have wiped out a few birds. My ANgel looks at me with feathers in his mouth and tail wagging, can't be mad at him for long, ( chicken got in wrong pen) but definitely domestic dogs are the cause of most problems.

 

[Arielle]

Ugh. 8 turkey eggs are dead. One internally pipped. The rest died just a few days ago. I HATE tabletop bators with the wafers. What junk.

Try again, I have good luck with the table tops. Hatched dozens of turkey poults. Have you considered other possibilties? Don't give up yet. many reasons for eggs not to hatch. I would first consider if the hen is getting enough proper nutirtion. She can be off by one micronutrient and that messes up everything. Sand Hill was having such trouble one year, cnanged the feed and voila. Just saying, it could be something fixable.