Turkeys For 2013

[kuntrygirl]

I have my Black Spanish tom over a BBW (who insists she's broody) and a BBBxpalm hen. They should make some great meaties. I am getting ready to set 8 of their eggs, now that I have room. I candled my Muscovys and looks like they all quit. Maybe they are a little too complicated for me right now. My BS hen is broody, so she's in the flight pen with the RGs, the BR are running loose but I guess the boys cant catch the hen cause I havent gotten any that are fertile.

Would like to do the same cross heritage x BBW for a faster growth. But for now, a few projects are going on the back burner until next year. I'm waiting for next year to order AUburns again as I have 10 toms and NO hens. I have BR to eat in the mean time. I just cleared the muscovy nest as nothing hatched out of 12+ eggs. I don't really want more muscovies anyways as we turn them into pets and I don't need more pets. THe eggs do make good eating--I need more ice cream recipes for the summer to keep the kids busy making ice cream and then eating it!

Ice cream recipes?

OH yes, I swapped out the chicken eggs and used the duck eggs and about 50% more for a lusious eggy vanillla custard. The custard is cooked first then put into the icecream machine. I also use splenda to replace half the white sugar. YUM. FIRst batch gone in less than a day.

YUMMY !!!

 

[pollo disco]

Yup, my friend and I found chicks over in Tucson at the Arizona Feeds store. They were Whites and Rio Grandes. We chose the Rio Grandes simply because they were the closest cousins to the "Merriams" variety. That is local here in Arizona. My wife and I orginally chose the turks for holiday dinners, hence the names. But as we raised them, we found out that they were now pets and hopefully productive egg layers that can be incubated and raised. Now that would be cool. We will see. They are still so young though, we got them right after Easter. So gonna have to wait. Thanks.

 

[Arielle]

Yup, my friend and I found chicks over in Tucson at the Arizona Feeds store. They were Whites and Rio Grandes. We chose the Rio Grandes simply because they were the closest cousins to the "Merriams" variety. That is local here in Arizona. My wife and I orginally chose the turks for holiday dinners, hence the names. But as we raised them, we found out that they were now pets and hopefully productive egg layers that can be incubated and raised. Now that would be cool. We will see. They are still so young though, we got them right after Easter. So gonna have to wait. Thanks.

The first set are pets; the next are dinner. That's how it worked here , too.

 

[chickadoodles]

When the guy showed up to do my NPIP testing all my turkeys showed their true colors! They all are TOMS! They were all fluffed up strutting the fence line and they all GOBBLED! I had never heard them gobble before! I could not believe it, just Sun. I thought I had at least 2 Narri hens? I was so shocked! I told the guy I have never seen them act like this before and that I thought two of my Narri's were hens. He laughed and said your going to have a freezer full of turkey next month!
But at least I know where to get some more turkey on 7-1! So I guess I will have to start waiting all over again to see what I wind up with! It just takes so long!!!

 

[Arielle]

When the guy showed up to do my NPIP testing all my turkeys showed their true colors! They all are TOMS! They were all fluffed up strutting the fence line and they all GOBBLED! I had never heard them gobble before! I could not believe it, just Sun. I thought I had at least 2 Narri hens? I was so shocked! I told the guy I have never seen them act like this before and that I thought two of my Narri's were hens. He laughed and said your going to have a freezer full of turkey next month!
But at least I know where to get some more turkey on 7-1! So I guess I will have to start waiting all over again to see what I wind up with! It just takes so long!!!

Sorry they are all boys. Did you have them tested even if going to the freezer?

 

[chickadoodles]

Sorry they are all boys. Did you have them tested even if going to the freezer?

Thank you Arielle! Yes we tested all my birds. I am going to hold off putting them in the freezer as I still will have to wait to see what I end up with on this next bunch! I still may need some of these toms. lol

 

[kuntrygirl]

When the guy showed up to do my NPIP testing all my turkeys showed their true colors! They all are TOMS! They were all fluffed up strutting the fence line and they all GOBBLED! I had never heard them gobble before! I could not believe it, just Sun. I thought I had at least 2 Narri hens? I was so shocked! I told the guy I have never seen them act like this before and that I thought two of my Narri's were hens. He laughed and said your going to have a freezer full of turkey next month! But at least I know where to get some more turkey on 7-1! So I guess I will have to start waiting all over again to see what I wind up with! It just takes so long!!!

Congrats on your NPIP. Sounds like a lot of delicious dinners at your house.

 

[chickadoodles]

Congrats on your NPIP. Sounds like a lot of delicious dinners at your house.

Thanks kuntrygirl! I sure hope so! I guess I will have to learn to cook a fresh turkey? I hear it is different?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Congrats on your NPIP. Sounds like a lot of delicious dinners at your house.

Thanks kuntrygirl! I sure hope so! I guess I will have to learn to cook a fresh turkey? I hear it is different?

As many turkeys as I have had over the years, I have never eaten one of my own. I just recently processed one of my own turkeys this weekend and it's in the freezer. I guess I'll cook it in the next few weeks. However, I do have several toms that I have to process as well and I have found someone who will do the deed and I will do the rest. Doing the deed is what has been hindering me throughout the years. If I could get pass that, then I would be ok.

 

[desertmarcy]

30 turkey eggs just went into the hatcher for lock down this morning

This is my last big batch for the year, after these, just a handful to go into the hatcher. I have never hatched turkeys this late in the year before, this is crazy. Guess the extras will have to be Christmas turkeys instead of Thanksgiving turkeys to give them a full 6 months of growth.