Turkeys For 2013

[Zootopia]

guess I need to whine and gripe about my hen turkey one more time. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about looking for her nest because I knew that she had to be laying somewhere. She has always jsut dropped her eggs in the past on the floor and went on about her business but since I havent seen any laying about, I just knew this was the year that she was going to be a normal turkey and make a nest and actually lay eggs. 4 days ago, I was walking by and say he standing still and she didnt squat or anything.. just stood there for a minute and then out came an egg and she looked over her shoulder at it and walked away. havent seen one since. So, I guess, she is not laying with any consistency this year either. she will lay maybe 4 or 5 eggs over a mont or two period and will be done for the year. I really need to get rid of her.. but I wont.

Wow and I was whining cause I had one that layed all winter! Your hen just lays and walks away!?! And the eggs don't crack or break? I guess I havs some guineas that have started doing that, I've found several just laying in the middle of one of the chicken yards that the guineas frequent. Most of them lay in the nest boxes, or atleast in the barn. What do you do with 1 turkey egg? I have a guy who buys them, to eat, but when you only have one hen laying every other day or so it sure takes awhile to send him a meal! Guess I'll keep her, beats the opposite problem.

 

[Arielle]

Frank-- you might be keeping those girls penned for a while. I don't know the exact dates for your area, mine start to fizzle in August.

 

[Arielle]

If anyone is interested I have Sweetgrass eggs for sale--


I have 15 little poults of mixed breeding enjoying the quiet of a brooder away from the mayhem of the main brooder. Turkey poults were diving for cover at every alarm-- don't know what it is about this wild group in the brooder, but they are trouble makers!! lol Poults definitely prefer the quiet life.

 

[chicken pickin]

If anyone is interested I have Sweetgrass eggs for sale--


I have 15 little poults of mixed breeding enjoying the quiet of a brooder away from the mayhem of the main brooder. Turkey poults were diving for cover at every alarm-- don't know what it is about this wild group in the brooder, but they are trouble makers!! lol Poults definitely prefer the quiet life.

I love them!!! Ive already started prepping DH fro the possibility of maybe buying some eggs from you

. I know he wont say no lol but that would mean making a seperate pen for them and I have so much on my plate I already need to build another chicken house, a duck house and a goat house and all the pens that go with them. And that all needs to be built in the next few week

Oh boy I think Im in over my head lol.

but shhhhhhhhh I think i may get some eggs from you soon. I just need to build everything first.

 

[pollo disco]

Finally got my two RGs over to the coop. I do have them sectioned off from the chickens for right now. I want them to be familiar with the "area" so to speak. The chickens were not terribly happy to have the coop sectioned off.lol. But I did a cleaning of the the run and fluffed all the bedding along with other cleaning chores to help mix things up a bit and limit territory issues. Don't know if it will work, we will see. My chickens eat EVERYTHING given to them, so I am wondering do you guys mix up the feeds for the different birds, or do you leave separate containers around the run and such for the poults and chicks, guineas whatever.?

 

[jbirds2012]

we have a blue slate that went broody about a month ago and two turkeys hatched 2 days ago on my birthday !!! cool huh !!!


we have blue slate hens no toms and royal palm hens, 2 toms, funny thing is where did the black baby turkeys come from ?
we also have guineas, they may be lazy but they are smart, they went and layed their eggs next to the turkey hen and the turkey hen would scoop them up under her to sit on also. yesterday i found 2 baby guinea babies running around.

 

[chickadoodles]

How funny!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

we have a blue slate that went broody about a month ago and two turkeys hatched 2 days ago on my birthday !!! cool huh !!!


we have blue slate hens no toms and royal palm hens, 2 toms, funny thing is where did the black baby turkeys come from ?
we also have guineas, they may be lazy but they are smart, they went and layed their eggs next to the turkey hen and the turkey hen would scoop them up under her to sit on also. yesterday i found 2 baby guinea babies running around.

Oh that's just precious! My guinea hens are just dropping eggs on the ground. I keep them penned til they lay every day, soooooo not egg hunting!

 

[DennisK]

We have a regular zoo/circus out here. There is a 10 by 12 foot, two story coop with a large chicken yard which is fenced, but most of the occupants don’t limit their activities to the fenced area. The turkey hens only use the yard when they return to roost each night – except for the mama hens; they have nested in inappropriate places: In our garden where I cannot till until mama moves out, In our garden/power building on a shelf where I keep some of my tools, and in a temporary structure which is turning into a permanent structure because two turkey hens are sitting on one nest! Apparently, they subscribe to the theory that you need two mamas to make a baby in half the time.
Anyway, as you can see from jbirds’ pictures, the garden hen has hatched her eggs. Now we need to make a place for her and her brood so that we can finally start tilling.

 

[RockerHen]

Can't you just hear her angry hissing and spitting? It's like I'm reaching under a broody cobra each day