Turkeys For 2013

[kuntrygirl]

While I was taking this pic, my tom turkey, Chuck came over to prance around and drum around me, like normal. I put my camera on video and recorded him and he was prancing around me. I turned to catch him from my right side and he attacked me from behind. I kicked him back as he was flying up and trying to flog me in the face again and then swung my camera out as he kept trying again and again. I yelled to my Australian Shepherd to come over and he did but bent his head down and backed away. I finally got to the gate to get out, it was the longest 30 ft I ever walked backwards. I tried to intimidate him but he wouldn't back down. I had the same coat, boots, pants that I've worn before. I don't wear perfume. It's not unusual to have my camera. I was not near Rosie. It is mating season for them What caused me to to be more alert was that he was getting redder and redder and his dance was changing. Funny thing is, my camera was recording the whole thing. It's a blur, I can see his wings hitting the lens a few times but can hear my talking to him and him talking back. As soon as I find out if I need to change his food, his days are over. He's very large and I'm not going to risk him hurting my grandchildren. He's probably 14 mo old. I am just sick over it.

Sorry to hear about that but he is absolutely BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!! Can you re-home him or is he too dangerous to give someone else that problem of him doing the same thing to them? :/

 

[PeepsCA]

Hehehe the guinea GURU!!!!! I love reading your posts! BTW my guinea laid their very first egg TODAY

Hiya jc! Another Guineafied person with Turkeys! Congrats on your 1st Guinea egg!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Ok, here are pics of the first turkeys that I hatched this year. This is a pic of the turkey eggs (hatched poults) that I had refrigerated and then put in the incubator.

As of today they 15 weeks and 2 days old. They keep me laughing when I go outside and I have fruit and veggies to throw to the birds and they are a ways away from me and they see the food, they take out flying through the air. They are getting up to flying about 7 feet off of the ground. I have to duck down when I see them flying towards me because I"m afraid they will fly into me. It is soooo funny to see them charging at me. I will try to take a pic of them flying in the air if I can.

 

[PeepsCA]

Yah, sorry to hear he attacked YOU Sally.. dumb bird, don't bite, attack or flog the hand that feeds you!

Can you just pen him up the rest of the breeding season and let him cool his jets? Or is it that once a Tom turns aggressive he'll stay aggressive from that point on? This is my first yr with breeding age Toms (Jakes), so I have no clue if they have seasonal hormones where they temporarily lose their minds like male Guineas do, or if once they lose it they stay that way.

My Wild Eastern Jake hasn't even strutted near me since I tackled him to the ground... and if he knows what's good for him he better not even look at me sideways.

 

[PeepsCA]

Gorgeous birds kuntry, really makes me want to raise at least a trio of that breed. I might have to go on your egg list for next season! (Just wish you lived closer, I'm not a fan of shipped eggs).

There are 6 or 7 pipped Turkey eggs in my hatcher as of last night (I had 1 quitter so there were 12 egs total that got moved to lock-down, plus 2 more Guinea eggs). I keep hearing some rather loud peeping that's not a keet... so now they just need to hurry UP and hatch! Even tho I am realistically expecting all Black poults from this hatch, I'm still anxious to see how well they hatch. I have them in my cabinet hatcher, and I'm battling with keeping the humidity high enough (I want it at 80, it wants to stay at around 68 lol)... it's stressin' me out!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Thanks PeepsCA. I know what you mean about the shipped eggs. I'm anxiously awaiting the results of trunkman's hatch. I shipped him some eggs. He ordered 12 and I threw in an extra 5. He said that 13 out of 17 were fertile and they are looking good so far. He received them all in great shape. I made sure they were packaged perfect with the egg foam shippers! His are scheduled to hatch soon.

I was sad to see all of my poults being sold but I know they are going to good homes. My girls are still laying, so I am sliding eggs under whoever is willing to set on them.

Good luck on your hatch. I think I have a gazillion guinea eggs under a bunch of hens. I"m hoping for keets soon as well.

 

[PeepsCA]

I'm sure those foam egg shippers save a lot of eggs from the trauma they go thru while being shipped (I need to invest in a bunch of those for shipping Guinea eggs!). No matter how well eggs are packed tho I'd swear there's someone in the Sacramento USPS shipping terminal that has a sick fetish for playing soccer or hacky-sack with every box of eggs I've shipped or received the past couple of years, lol.

Congrats on all the broodies on piles of Guinea eggs! My OTHER Black Turkey Hen is broody now and keeps hoarding Guinea eggs like the other Black Hen did. I have to push her off eggs 2-3 times a day to collect them lol.

 

[kuntrygirl]

[COLOR=4B0082]I'm sure those foam egg shippers save a lot of eggs from the trauma they go thru while being shipped (I need to invest in a bunch of those for shipping Guinea eggs!). No matter how well eggs are packed tho I'd swear there's someone in the Sacramento USPS shipping terminal that has a sick fetish for playing soccer or hacky-sack with every box of eggs I've shipped or received the past couple of years, lol.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=4B0082]Congrats on all the broodies on piles of Guinea eggs! My OTHER Black Turkey Hen is broody now and keeps hoarding Guinea eggs like the other Black Hen did. I have to push her off eggs 2-3 times a day to collect them lol.[/COLOR]

 

[Sally8]

Sorry to hear about that but he is absolutely BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!

Can you re-home him or is he too dangerous to give someone else that problem of him doing the same thing to them?

I don't know. This started a week ago and I said that I was just going to be sure that I kept the girls out of the chicken/turkey pen. Chuck is too large to fly over. But when I ran inside for something last week end and I came out, Kayla was in the pen. 3 other people weren't watching who were supposed to be. What if someone else says the same and a little one gets a flogging. It was traumatic for me. I'm not trying to make this bigger than what it is but.....I don't want to see someone else get hurt plus we'll eat him, if he'll fit in the stove. lol

I don't know if he would stay aggressive but I won't take any chances with the kids. If it were just me I'd deal with it bit I'm not sure about the rest of your kids or grandkids but if I tell mine not to do something, you can pretty much bet they will..

 

[Sally8]

Ok, here are pics of the first turkeys that I hatched this year. This is a pic of the turkey eggs (hatched poults) that I had refrigerated and then put in the incubator.

As of today they 15 weeks and 2 days old. They keep me laughing when I go outside and I have fruit and veggies to throw to the birds and they are a ways away from me and they see the food, they take out flying through the air. They are getting up to flying about 7 feet off of the ground. I have to duck down when I see them flying towards me because I"m afraid they will fly into me. It is soooo funny to see them charging at me.

I will try to take a pic of them flying in the air if I can.

These are so beautiful!!!! Makes me want to consider raising a bunch!