It never ceases to amaze me how many people drive right past the "no trespassing" sign in our driveway. Yes sales people and bible people it also applies to you! And as you round the turn and the 4 large dogs come running at you usually being lead by Lucky the pitbull you might have wished you...
Your humidty is to high during incubation and the egg didn't draw down enough. There was to much liquid in the egg and when it pipped it smothered in the fluid.
Once the eggs start to hatch (however hard it is) keep the 'bator closed and let them do it. Every time you open the door the...
My wife did a grow out journal on BYC for Silver Fox vs a Cal/NZ mix.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=428915&p=1
One of the best "side features" of the SF is you also have the pet appeal. They are very friendly and layed back rabbits and we have no trouble selling what...
There is a night and day difference in the taste of a BB type vs a heritage. But what is your goal? Are you feeding an army and want as much meat as possible in the shortest time that is right up the BB's alley. You are also talking alot of freezer space since you get them as poults and raise...
If I can be of any help ask away. We raise 6 varieties of turkeys. Midget White, Beltsville White, White Holland, Bourbon Red, Royal Palm and standard Bronze. As OFG said we have written some articles for the ALBC, Mother Earth News, Backyard Poultry and Countryside magazine.
Here is one...
The seed catalogs are here on the table for us to get the order ready this weekend. There are spinach and some greens still out in the garden. Our roaming peacock ate most of the leaves off the broccoli. lol
Hi OFG - today it's goose Steve. Gotta have the Christmas goose. :)
Steve
If you get them from a feed store get the most active ones and ones that are eating and drinking. Poults under stress can starve out. They will stop eating and die right in front of a full feeder. I always raise them with chicks for the first couple weeks, the chicks tend to be more active and...
An old rule of thumb was not to inbreed more than 7/8s Your offspring right now would be 3/4. Since the younger tom is nicer I would keep him and the nicest hens.( depending on how many you want) And mark them. I would also get an unrelated tom and hen or two then line breed them from there...
Have you ever cracked the eggs and checked for fertility? Your tom could be a dud, or just where she is laying them. Chickens can hatch turkey eggs as well they just can't cover as many. It's a hard choice to start over or wait and see and feed them all winter. There is no way to tell now if...
Yes we raise ours with other poultry, if you look at some of the pics on our website you can see them all together. There is a downside, turkeys can get blackhead from chickens. Key word is "can", people will tell you it's given but the illness has to be present in the soil first.
Barred Buff...
As long as the fencing is secure they should be ok, I would clip their wings to keep them in. Does your pen now connect to the other fenced area? They will try to go back there to roost. I would turn them out on a day (at least, a couple day would be better) so you can keep an eye on them in...
Glad to be able to help! Start with this, we wrote an article for Mother Earth News that will help for starters.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/The-Happy-Homesteader/Raising-Turkey-Poults.aspx
I think alot of the problems people have raising turkeys is from the stress the poults have from...
Was she a this years hatch? If you hatch early enough in the spring they can lay in the fall but it's a short season. I wouldn't let one sit this time of year. I raised a batch of poults one winter - that was enough for me never to do that again. lol
Steve