Turkeys about breeding time

[CrealCritter]

Everything I've read says poults are dumb, hard to raise, get cold easily and poor survival. You have sure confirmed these.

I saw 2 trios of 1/2 grown, beautiful Royal Palms at an auction Saturday. Wanted them bad! Sold for $75 a trio and that's a good buyer price, IMO. Nope, didn't buy. Good girl!!

So then coming home I see a passel of wild ones! Like 20 in a group with a couple hens -- just sailing along fat & happy. Guess people shouldn't domesticate. Sure are a LOT of them making it to adulthood from the looks of the freezers in the stores. Wonder what the losses are on a turkey farm??

I've read the nags do ok and another...want to say a black one...???? Not sure. Just decided if it can't set and care for the poults, it's not for me. I'll eat chicken.

I have 6 left from 13 that survived the hatch, that's more than 50% loss. It's pretty disheartening, they are so fragile when they are young. Chickens are way easier!

 

[Mini Horses]

Geesh.
Can't imagine how commercial farms handle this. Imagine thousands of poults to start...…… Of course, they use full shelters situations but, still.

 

[sumi]

Oh man, sorry to hear about the losses. They sound very difficult to raise. I hope the remainder will hang on and grow up for you!

 

[CrealCritter]

Geesh.
Can't imagine how commercial farms handle this. Imagine thousands of poults to start...…… Of course, they use full shelters situations but, still.

I believe almost all commercially raised turkey is broadbreasted. I've raised broadbreasted before they are about like raising chickens but a lot larger. As a matter of fact I brood them with chicken chicks and they lived in the same yard and coop as the chickens also.

Google image of commercial turkey farm.

 

[CrealCritter]

5 weeks old now and I do believe I have 5 Tom's and one hen. Boy this should be interesting when they get a little older... I sure hope my other two hens take to the new hen because it would be bad for her come later winter in with 5 Tom's. They are so skittish, when they see or hear me they freeze and become motionless.

The 5th one from the left is a lot smaller than the other five and she tested to be a hen a few weeks ago.

 

[CrealCritter]

Just snapped a pic of a family of wild turkeys in my backyard right before the first creek. And here I am struggling to raise burbon red turkeys .

 

[Mini Horses]

GUN!!! Bring the gun DW!!!!

I see so many wild ones here, groups of 25-30 not unusual. And deer. Wow, 10-20 at a time. Yep. We have a lot of corn, p-nuts & soybean grown here, so plenty to eat.

Hey, you're from NC -- same thing there.

 

[CrealCritter]

They sure do grow in a hurry. I have to smaller ones I checked the all today. 4 Tom's and 2 Hens. To bad the weather is going to turn into fall. I got volenteer tomatoes growing in their yard.

 

[baymule]

the losses suck, you sure trying hard for those ungrateful dumb birds. I know that you are going to enjoy every bite, come Thanksgiving. If anybody ever worked hard for their dinner, you sure have.

 

[CrealCritter]

Yep it was cold and rainy last night. It' been raining on and off since last Friday. I guess one of the hens decided it was going to stay out in the rain instead of in the coop with the other turkeys under the heat lamp. Best I can tell it got cold and drown??? Really disheartening... I told my wife I lost another one last night. She replied "Are you kidding me?". Anyways, down to 5 now, 4 Tom's and 1 hen.

This is what I found this morning. I'm trying hard not to take this personally but then again it's hard not too either.

Here are the remaining 5, this afternoon eating earth worms, happy as can be (singing even) after the rain stopped in the partical sun.

I obviously suck really bad at raising turkeys and it's making me quite sad.