Broody turkey hen with chicken eggs! Sheesh! ***new ???? p 9***

[freemotion]

Wow! What a cool story!

 

[Ohioann]

Midget whites, is that a politically correct term? Are they really smaller than the average turkey you see at the fair?

I wouldn't mind a smaller turkey or two.

Yes, Midet whites are smaller than standard turkeys. They are a heritage breed, naturally breeding. We raised poults last year. Started with 8 day olds, raised 5, ended up with 4 toms and 1 hen. Traded 1 tom for another hen, butchered 2 toms (carcass weights of 14 pounds and 14 and 1/2 pounds) and bought 1 more hen so I now have 1 tom and 3 hens. Since there are just the two of us the birds are a good roasting size for us.
I like the size of the birds, easier for me to handle. Having been flogged by a huge commercial turkey once it is not something I every wish to repeat. The only problem is that these smaller birds can FLY. We had to put poultry wire over the top of their pen to keep them in.

check out the heritage breeds at www.albc-usa.org

 

[The Vail Benton's]

I have a Blue Slate turkey hen, she is a VERY good momma. Last year she put me on the wall 3 times....I was just trying to put feed in there for her! Jeesh, the ingrate!!
I have a few Banty Cochin Frizzles...and last spring one hen went broody. Being that I didnt want any more bantys...and I couldnt break this little hen from her broodiness....I finally gave in, and gave her a turkey egg! It was so funy to watch her sit on top of that egg, and slide from one side to the other..tipping. Finally I made her nest deeper, so she could settle down on the egg. She raised that little turkey for several weeks afterwards. I finally had to take the turkey out of the bantam pen...when it was stepping on the other bantams. Boy, a little rooster can get pretty upset, when stepped on by a 2 ft tall "baby" Good luck with your hen...I hope you have LOTS of fuzzies in a few weeks...and she still lays well for you in the spring!

Great Story...

 

[freemotion]

So I finally went out with the camera today to get a picture of the turkey on her chicken eggs. And for the first time in over three weeks, she was OFF THE EGGS! She was taking a stroll with the chickens and her mate. I took pics of the pile of eggs and counted them...as I suspected, a couple of hens have been sneaking in with her to lay eggs. I put fifteen under her, and there were thirty eggs! Stinkin' chickens!

I was running off to teach (mid-term season, BLAH!) so didn't have time to candle them or to wait to see if she went back on the nest. She did. Hopefully in time to keep them alive.

Tuesday will be twenty days, so I will start peaking in on her with camera in hand!

I will post pictures at some point when dh has time to download them for me.

 

[Javamama]

30 eggs! That has got to be a quite a site! Goofy poultry Can't wait to see the pics.

 

[freemotion]

Well, I heard peeping coming from under her this morning!!! Let the hatching commence!!!! Here are the pics from last week, and I will take more once she lets those chicks out from under her big ol' self.

I can't just reach in and lift her with one hand while I take pictures with the other, like I did with my little Dominique. She would surely take an eye (or two!) out for my troubles....and for a snack.

 

[FarmerDenise]

How cool is that. Yeah don't try to pick her up with one hand
That is going to be a sight to see. Susie running around with her twelve chicks is someting. You'll end up with close to 30. Oh my!!!
And what fun!!!

 

[gettinaclue]

Thanks for the pictures!

That is quite a cache of eggs!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

That's a huge mess of eggs!! Can't wait to see what she hatches!!

 

[Iceblink]

The people we buy our milk from love raising turkeys, and last year they tried adding Blue Slates, and swear they will eat them all and never raise them again. I bought one for Thanksgiving, and I have to agree, they were scrawny and bony. The meat tasted good, but the family says BS's are the nastiest tempered turkeys they have ever had. They attack people, chickens and the males will attack the poults.

Different strains would probably be different, but it was enough to make me give Blue Slates a pass. If I raise turkeys I want to try Midget Whites or Beltsville Small Whites.