Turkeys?

[baymule]

I'm starting my breed research......

Turkey Breeds - Best 10 Breeds With Pictures

There are many turkey breeds available throughout the world. But not nearly as many turkey breeds as there are chicken breeds or duck breeds. Although, there are still enough varieties to choose from. Some of

www.roysfarm.com

Breeds of Turkeys - Oklahoma State University

Learn more about the breeds of turkeys used for production around the world.

afs.okstate.edu

https://ohio4h.org/sites/ohio4h/files/imce/animal_science/Poultry/What%20type%20of%20turkey%20is%20best%20for%20small%20and%20backyard%20poultry%20flocks_%20-%20eXtension.pdf

Royal Palms have the least filled out breast of the turkey varieties.

12 Odd Tips on Raising Heritage Breed Turkeys You Need to Know

By raising heritage breed turkeys you acknowledge the importance of preserving genetic diversity. However you need to understand the challenges too.

morningchores.com

 

[Rammy]

Odd... Mine are not agressive at all but the hens do get "pecky" when sitting. But so are my chicken hens when sitting, actually chicken hens are worse, they draw blood.

I walked out to feed one morning and the turkey was ontop of my rooster holding him down and had his head in its beak banging it on the ground. The turkey was processed the next day.

 

[CrealCritter]

I walked out to feed one morning and the turkey was ontop of my rooster holding him down and had his head in its beak banging it on the ground. The turkey was processed the next day.

And just where did this turkey learn this behavior? :Lol 10lbs and no turkey hens. he probably thought he was a chicken and the hens were his to mate. Yes I've had Tom's mount chickens. Chickens are little hussies, they just lay there.

Seriously if your going to keep just a Tom, keep him separate for any other fowl or at the very least get him two turkey hens, the more turkey hens the better. Never keep two turkey Tom's together with turkey hens even in sight of the Tom's. One morning you'll wake up to one dead Tom. Because they will fight to the death for the right to breed the hens. Which is what a suspect happened in your case.

 

[Finnie]

I kept my turkeys with my chickens for 5 years and it was mostly successful. There were some problems once in a while.

Like @CrealCritter said, two turkey hens minimum for a tom if he’s going to be with chickens. I had two turkey hens, and when one went broody, the other one was not enough to keep the tom satisfied, and he started mating my pullets. I didn’t know he was doing it. I had one pullet turn up lame and not recover. Then another. I was starting to worry I had some kind of disease in my flock, when I saw the tom mounting and smashing a third pullet. I was able to rescue her in time, and I sold that tom.

Another problem was tom-rooster fights. That wasn’t such a big deal, because they were just fighting for pecking order. The more stupid roosters took a lot longer to realize they couldn’t win a fight with a turkey. But most of the time the fight would get settled without too much blood shed.

Then the final problem which prompted me to sell my last two jennies was seeing them beating up on my pullets. It was either a pecking order thing, or that the jennies just took a disliking to a few specific pullets. But either way I was tired of dealing with turkeys so I decided to be done with them. (For a while. Maybe if my facilities are different some day I will get them again, because I really do like turkeys.)

Hatching and selling poults was fairly profitable. Around here I can get $10-12 for a newly hatched poult, and I would raise the price $1 per week until they sold.

 

[CrealCritter]

It will give you more than just seeds to search this winter.

I've been told that they are pretty dumb as young ones. ? ? ? So maybe use your CCX tractor for them until they get a little older? By then you will be ready to add the quickie CCX flock. I'm helping you think....ok, enabling

You have an incubator?

Absolutely Young turkey are a little on the retarded side, I kid you not I had one die because it was to dumb to walk 10 feet to get out of the rain. That is if they don't have there mom to raise them. It seems their mom knows how to raise them for the most part. But here is where it gets challenging. If you do have say two hens hatching eggs some of the chicks take to one hen and the other chicks take to the other hen. After a while it become like a the Hatfield's and McCoy's with hens killing the other hens chicks then factor in the Tom taking out the jakes and soon you'll not have any chicks left. So I found it best to pull the chicks right after they hatch and put them under a red heat lamp. Deal with the retardation until it passes then intorduce the young hens into the flock with a mature Tom. The Tom's I keep together until they get to the age and want to start breading. Then I decide to I butcher all the young Tom's or do I replace my old Tom with new young Tom? A lot of thought goes into this decision. I go by personality and how well defined their markings are mainly on their tail feathers.i also look at their toes any with crook toes are butchered for meals.

I really think you'll like turkeys. The hens have quite the vocabulary and after some time you'll get to know what they are trying to tell you. A "POP" means there is something new in their area. A POP POP POP means this new thing might be dangerous. A POP POP POP POP or rapid repeating of multiple POPs means yep it's dangerous, like snake. A KEY KEY KEY sound means they are out of water or they are hungry. A Thump or Drum sound means they are happy. Like when you bring them water and or food or when you go and check up on them. They also make a PURRRR sound when they are coming into mating season.

You kind of learn some of this if you hunting for wild turkeys. Mainly the Key Key Key because that's what sound the box calls make.

 

[Rammy]

And just where did this turkey learn this behavior? :Lol 10lbs and no turkey hens. he probably thought he was a chicken and the hens were his to mate. Yes I've had Tom's mount chickens. Chickens are little hussies, they just lay there.

Seriously if your going to keep just a Tom, keep him separate for any other fowl or at the very least get him two turkey hens, the more turkey hens the better. Never keep two turkey Tom's together with turkey hens even in sight of the Tom's. One morning you'll wake up to one dead Tom. Because they will fight to the death for the right to breed the hens. Which is what a suspect happened in your case.

Doesnt matter now. He tasted real good.

 

[Mini Horses]

Love the lesson on turkey language!!

All animals have their own language -- verbal and body -- it is important to know. Enables you to handle safely and use their keys to help you. Plus experience with raising sure helps anyone just getting into any animal. Behaviors are key to successful handling.

 

[CrealCritter]

Another thing you'll like about heritage turkeys Bay, is they don't practice "Scorched Earth" like chickens do. Turkeys mainly eat seeds and bugs when on the pasture. Whereas a chickens will eat everything including the roots.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

If I want to move turkeys from one pasture to another and then back home for the night, do they drive or will they follow?

You're gonna need another dog! One of those herding type of critters!

 

[baymule]

This is a great discussion! Thanks for all the input!