MEAT BIRDS THREAD ~Plans, pics, pens, pluckers, processing! GRAPHIC!

[TanksHill]

Wow great info Bee. Thanks fr clearing that up.

Oh, I though I would share a couple pics of the turkeys. Little ones are doing great. I opened their run and let them mingle with the flock. Momma Turk chased off a couple of motherly hens that showed interest but other than that no problems. Tom is behaving and actually strutting around looking proud. Momma turkey does a great job and even returns to her nest box in the separate run all by herself at night.

The poults are just about a month old and eating Flock Raiser, whole grains and cobb with the rest of my birds.

g

 

[the funny farm6]

How cute!

 

[Beekissed]

Those are some beautiful turkeys! Do you find turkey poults to be harder to raise than chicks? I've read that they are kind of touchy and many die.

 

[Beekissed]

It's 91 degrees here today..in the shade...and my CX are out in full force foraging. They've been at it since this morning and will be doing it up til full dark. I'm wondering about those people who claim their birds die of heat stress~just how hot is it where they live and do their birds have any shade whatsoever?

 

[the funny farm6]

Beekissed...I am coming to your house!

It is 55 here and raining--------AGAIN!
Calling for rain till Saturday at least!

 

[Beekissed]

We had a fire in the stove up until yesterday, so I feel your pain! We are supposed to get rain for the next three days but the temps will be in the 80s....I can plant things in the garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Warm soils, finally!

 

[TanksHill]

Those are some beautiful turkeys! Do you find turkey poults to be harder to raise than chicks? I've read that they are kind of touchy and many die.

Thanks. I have really not done anything different for these birds. Except I moved the hen and eggs into a private hut and run. I kept them separate from the rest of the flock until just this week.

I have only had a broody chicken hatch once or twice before. Everything is just about the same.



g

 

[Beekissed]

I figured as much...if they were all that delicate no one would have turkey for their Thanksgiving, huh? We had some when I was growing up and they didn't seem hard at all....just big, dumb birds.

 

[Candy]

Hello Bekissed,

I am wondering if you ever got those wheels on your coup and it you can move it around easily enough? It looks like a beautiful coup at just the right price!

 

[Beekissed]

No..I never did! Big fail there on my coop design. I can move it anyway but it takes a truck or tractor to do it. Too heavy but, you know what? It has been a very neato coop and the CX are really cool and happy in it. I think Mom's layers will be also. It has amazing versatility because the cattle fencing has so many places to attach things, hang things, tie things, etc.

If I did it over again I could get by MUCH cheaper by just designing it as a stationary coop and I could have made it taller and sturdier while still making it more cheaply. Oh, that hindsight!