Turkeys For 2013

[desertmarcy]

WOW!! That is a lot. That must be your full time job!!!

I will have to try the fish and soybean meal.

Do you think that you could sell your 5 year old Tom to someone who will not eat him and would want him for a pet? He is handsome!

Yes, this is my retirement obsession. I spend all my time workings with the birds, and I still can't keep up with pen cleaning. Mainly that is because of the heat here this time of year. At least it is dry most of the time, so I can get away with it

I'm about to up my estrogen level. My NP thinks that will help with heat tolerance. I sure hope she is right.

I have thought about trying to find a pet home for him. He has a limp, too, probably arthritis. He gets his baby aspirin in a small piece of bread every morning and that helps him. I'll lift him down from the roost in the morning, too, if he is still up there, so he doesn't have to jump down. He is about the most spoiled bird on the property except my parrot.

 

[kuntrygirl]

WOW!! That is a lot. That must be your full time job!!!


I will have to try the fish and soybean meal.


Do you think that you could sell your 5 year old Tom to someone who will not eat him and would want him for a pet? He is handsome!

Yes, this is my retirement obsession. I spend all my time workings with the birds, and I still can't keep up with pen cleaning. Mainly that is because of the heat here this time of year. At least it is dry most of the time, so I can get away with it   I'm about to up my estrogen level. My NP thinks that will help with heat tolerance. I sure hope she is right.

I have thought about trying to find a pet home for him. He has a limp, too, probably arthritis. He gets his baby aspirin in a small piece of bread every morning and that helps him. I'll lift him down from the roost in the morning, too, if he is still up there, so he doesn't have to jump down. He is about the most spoiled bird on the property except my parrot.

Awwwwwwwwww at him getting his baby aspirin every morning and lifting him down from the roost. I love it !!! Most people don't get that kind of treatment. He sounds like a good boy. I see why it's so hard for you to do the deed. After hearing all of that, I don't want you to send him to the table. Sounds like he deserves to live out his live somewhere as a pet.

And don't even talk about cleaning the pens. I hate that!

 

[chickadoodles]

86 so far this year. Of those, 52 were sold. A few died or were culled. I've got 25 of my own hatched plus 24 from Kevin Porter. Some of mine are still for sale. A lot of them will be grown out for the holidays and after I see what sex ratio I have on the different breeds, and how they look, I'll choose for next year's breeding pens. I would say they are growing out well. I feed them an organic feed mix, 22% chick starter/grower with enough fish meal and soybean meal mixed in to bring the protein up to 28%. Every morning they get chopped hard boiled eggs mixed in the feed. Don't know why I bother to mix it, other than the finer material sticks to the eggs and so gets eaten. They pick out all the eggs right away! And I add vitamins to their water. Most of them are a little over a month old now, some are younger. I hope I don't have problems integrating these younger poults in with them. I will wait until they are 2-3 weeks old at least before I add them to the group. Or I may just put them in a separate pen, but right now, no pen available. I have a 5-year old Royal Palm tom, my original tom that I really like, but he won't breed anymore. I don't know what to do with him. He is not really a pet, but I don't know if I could bring myself to butcher him. I need the pen he is in. He can't roam the yard, or a bobcat will get him. It is a dilemma. He is the one in my avatar.

That is awesome numbers! Congrats on your eggs! I up the ratio of protein in my feed also it really helps. I am not getting any chicken eggs yet, hopefully any day! When I do I will be sure to give some to my new poults when I get them!
IT is awesome that you tend your 5 yr old tom the way you do! Most people would not be bothered! I have a dog that is almost blind and nearly deaf so he gets special treatment also. I love my turkeys and not sure how this is going to work with trying to sell eggs and put meat in the freezer and try not to get to close to the birds? How does everyone do it? For real?
I sure hope you find a way to get someone to just take him and let him be their pet! You could try calling some vet offices and talk to them, alot of them have or know people that will take animals in like that and care for them!

WOW!! That is a lot. That must be your full time job!!!

I will have to try the fish and soybean meal.

Do you think that you could sell your 5 year old Tom to someone who will not eat him and would want him for a pet? He is handsome!

 

[Arielle]

CHickenpicken-- My aug 27and Sept 3 hatch was the latest I would hatch as they were about the right size to get outside before winter set in. Depends on what you might have for houseing. I'm setting the last of mine now.

THe eggs make nice desserts!! Rich like duck eggs.

 

[joshm97]

I was curious of that. Do people still hatch this late in the season? I don't know when is a good time to stop. My hens didn't start laying until march and then the hens don't let the toms do their job so I have not had many poults  hatch at all. I recently have seen the Tom mate one of the hens a few times so I know its getting done. I plan to set 20 eggs on Fri, and they wont hatch until mid July and I was hoping to hatch one more batch after that but Im not sure. When do you guys stop hatching Turkeys?

I have a hen sitting right now! She started 3 days ago

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

nervous and excited, 18 going into lock down for my BR eggs today!

My lil RP poults are pretty special too, but i love the color of the BR.
I may be getting the parents of the royal palm poults this weekend...
The tom has become a big problem for the owner, and the hen has went broody.
Told her I will take them, poults n all. Can't wait

Plan to put the poults separate for transport, and into the brooder, mom will be pretty stressed from the move..

 

[chickadoodles]

nervous and excited, 18 going into lock down for my BR eggs today!

My lil RP poults are pretty special too, but i love the color of the BR.
I may be getting the parents of the royal palm poults this weekend...
The tom has become a big problem for the owner, and the hen has went broody.
Told her I will take them, poults n all. Can't wait

Plan to put the poults separate for transport, and into the brooder, mom will be pretty stressed from the move..

How exciting! Good luck on you eggs! And on getting the RP parents this weekend!

 

[racinchickins]

nervous and excited, 18 going into lock down for my BR eggs today!

My lil RP poults are pretty special too, but i love the color of the BR.
I may be getting the parents of the royal palm poults this weekend...
The tom has become a big problem for the owner, and the hen has went broody.
Told her I will take them, poults n all. Can't wait

Plan to put the poults separate for transport, and into the brooder, mom will be pretty stressed from the move..

Sign me up for hatching eggs when your BRs lay next year. We also need to talk RP poults when you come down for our poultryfest next month. I have three and would love to get some unrelated birds to breed with. I just need mine to get old enough to sex so that I know what I will need.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
Sign me up for hatching eggs when your BRs lay next year. We also need to talk RP poults when you come down for our poultryfest next month. I have three and would love to get some unrelated birds to breed with. I just need mine to get old enough to sex so that I know what I will need.

U betcha! I just started turkeys this year, and I just LOVE them. Heritage are much better (friendlier, less food aggressive) than the BB variety.

Quote:
Thank u!!

 

[Arielle]

Stopped at feed store today-- they had BBB and BBW. for $10.99 !! I asked at the desk if perhaps the price was confused with a heritage breed. THe fellow said he would check with the powers that be that set the pricing. I was planning to buy a few to cross with. ughhhh. Next year. TOo late to order 15 poults. Oh wait it is only June---WIll need to think it over.