ROTFL-- so true.
THe auburns are not SOP which creates more of an issue. NOthing written as a guide. HOwever Jeff says on his web site that these are an old breed and need more breeders. HE knows that is why I wanted these birds, ( Maybe he doesn't remember with so many buyers) but he sent me extras beyond the usual number to try to establish a breeding group. So a little help would be appreciated. Even if he mentioned the yahoo group . . . .
I read that Bourbon Reds were bred using the Auburns and because people favored the coloring in the BRs, Auburns became almost non-existing! They must be very rare, not to be considered for APA SOP?
Hi guys same thing here! I cant seem to hatch any hens, ugh. The last egg this season its a tom. OH well, fill up the freezer.
Keeping the 2 hens out of the bbw so i have some for next year! My RP gave me -0-. so far. Any insight on genetics what chooses the sex of the poult?
Tom or hen? I have hatched all boys.
I would think it more depends on the temp. of the incubator? I read that1/2 degree lower produces more female and 1/2 degree higher produces more males, IDK, with my Sportsmen, so far, it has been half and half. In December, when my hens start laying again, I think I might try to test that theory! More hens are needed for breeding, but toms have more meat for the freezer, so for me half and half works out.
This is a quote from Porters linebreeding page
Inbreeding and Linebreeding
The following info was written by Franklin Albertsen
"1 tom and 4 or 5 hens, per pen with a spare full-brother tom as a backup for each pen"
Another quote "I have maintained a flock of Sweetgrass colored birds for about 35 years with never more than one or two trios at a time"
Like I do with my rabbits, I will try to start 2 different genetic lines with my turkeys, using toms from one supplier and hens from another. Keeping them separate while free ranging will be the biggest problem, I will have to pen them and only let them out every other day? I was thinking one tom to 4 or 5 hens, too, but I want 5 breeds, so that's 10 breeding pens! Since I will be raising the MWs for everyday turkey meals, I would want to raise a lot more of them, but since they are a lot smaller, I should be able to keep more than 5 hens? I have 2 lines of Hollands, and only kept one mature tom from one of the lines and all the hens from the other, so with them line breeding will work. In another year or two, I'll try to swap eggs with someone in another state and switch out my tom. Holland toms get quite heavy and using year old toms is easier on the much smaller hens! I don't know if that is the case with the other heritage breeds?
I have a few questions regarding when to start turkeys. I understand the amount of time for a turkey to reach sexual maturity is 26 weeks.Depending or your purpose for raising Breeding/Meat is there a "preferred" time to start the project? Start March ,September January Etc...? Hatching eggs or Poults. / Incubator or Broody Hen ?
I'm reading that some have hens laying in January, is that mostly in the south ? Is it the first "spring" once mature or when maturity is reached get ready ? Being in Southeastern Pennsylvania would It be a March/April thing .
I started with hatchery birds early this spring. I have 3-BBW(1tom,2hens), I-Black(hen),2-MW(toms),1-BR(Hen),2-Nag(1tom,1hen). The BBW's are going to the freezer. I have noticed the Heritage breeds do well with keeping themselves clean whereas the BBW's are filthy.
Would breeding and crossing the turkeys I have be something I should look into? I don't want to breed out inferior birds. I realize there is a plethora of questions here . I 'm looking for honest opinions.
Thank You
As far as I can tell, BB Hybrids become sexually mature at 6 to 7 months, but Heritage turkeys take 8 to 9 months, depending on the breed and individual turkey.
In the South, my Hollands start laying in December as do BRs, but I have heard some other Heritage breeds will start laying in January. In the North, the season will be different, so March or April sounds right.
You can put a large breed Heritage tom over a BB Hybrid hen and get fertile eggs, but they will be mutts, Good tasting mutts, but not true heritage birds. All white feathered birds look dirtier, when they lay in mud puddles, than the darker colored ones, but after they molt, look pristine again!
As far as crossing goes, it depends if you plan to sell the eggs and poults and/or show them or if you are just growing for food! Either way, any inferior bird should never be bred, IMHO !
subscribed! I'm still on. Page 5 Lol
