|
Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Feb 27, 2012 21:43:34 GMT -6
I'd like to get some poults (i think thats what turkey babies are called) Anyway, I've heard if they gobble they're toms if they don't their hens. But how to tell with the babies? Is there a way? I would like to get just a pair in the near future. Bobby still has some pens to get done but when we're ready i'd like to get a pair. I saw that list of breeds at the store in Jackson and saw they'll have turkeys in a few months Maybe we'll be ready then. But i'd like to get educated before we do get them. Any important information I need to know like feed, illneses they're suseptible to, bedding and nesting, how old before they breed? Anything and everything. lol I'm turkey illiterate. Well, I can cook a fanastic tasting turkey.
|
|
|
Post by ellisfarms on Feb 28, 2012 14:53:43 GMT -6
Mine are 1yr old have not started to lay yet . looks like they want too .
|
|
|
Post by Timbo on Mar 1, 2012 21:14:39 GMT -6
Mine were laying at a year old
|
|
|
Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Mar 2, 2012 22:59:54 GMT -6
I was thinking broad breasted bourbons. I think thats what they're called. They're pretty and from what I understand good meat birds too. Would they eat the same thing as the chickens? We can't let them free range because of the highway and there are wild turkeys around. Don't want them going off to life with the wild bunch. We have a pen thats big enough for a pair, maybe more. I saw on one of the Dirty Jobs shows that they artificually insiminate the hens because they're large birds and can't balance that well. How true is that for the bourbons? Anybody know? I KNOW i'm not going to be doing that. If they can't do the job themselves i'll have to pick different turkeys or maybe cornish chickens. I can kill and clean the smaller birds.
|
|
|
Post by Timbo on Mar 3, 2012 4:14:53 GMT -6
They are fully capable of taking care of business without any help.
|
|
|
Post by Backwood Barns on Mar 3, 2012 12:38:31 GMT -6
Broad breasted are either bronze or giant whites and cannot breed naturally. Now if you are interested in either standard bronze or burbon reds they can both breed themselves. We have bronze and burbons. Our bronze aren't laying yet but the burbons are. I've got eggs in the incubator if your interested in hatchlings or I've got 4 toms and 4 hens all about a year old if you'd like a sexed set. It's really hard to tell a Tom from a hen til they're around 6 months in either breed. For the bronze, they are beautiful birds but we only have one tom ans 2 hens.
|
|
|
Post by chowdownsilkiefarm on Mar 9, 2012 22:02:53 GMT -6
We are definately interested in at least a pair. I'm partial to the bourbans. We where at Rural King yesterday and they have ducklings, bantams and turkeys. There where several dead bantam chicks in the brooders. I'd much rather buy direct from a breeder. I"m still working on getting my silkies separated in color pens. Plus I'm adding more colors. I got my new splash roo today in the mail. Now I need my black roo and another pen built real quick so I can separate the colors and add the new roos. I still need pens for the porcelain and paints and I'll have buff coming in the mail soon also. So Bobby has several pens to build before he can make one for the turkeys. We'll probably need to see how a house needs to be for them also so we get it right the first time.
Any suggestions on a turkey pen. They will have a large run and it will be covered.
|
|