| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 24 2011 : 4:45:09 PM
I came home this evening and went to feed all the animals. I was up front and saw a turkey hen on the ground beside the coop. She was just sitting there all wet. Then I saw a little turkey baby pop out from under her! Then a few more. Then I got all excited. I grabbed her up and Kansas helped me get all the babies. We put them in the coop with the young Buff chicks. Well, they started pecking on the poor little ones. Momma was hungry and wasn't paying attention. So I went ahead and got all the babies in a little tub and brought them inside. It's been raining and it's all wet outside. I saw one of the babies dead already. So we have 8 cute little turkey poults! They are in the dining room. I already gave them some warm water with some antibiotic in it. They are all warm and toasty. And they are all so cute!
Anyone need some cute little turkey babies? I think they are a few days old already.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 29 2011 : 6:42:35 PM
Kim, that's so sad. Wonder what happened? I lost one last year when I first got them. I forgot to turn the heat lamp on one night and one of them got chilled and died. I felt horrible. So even now I have heat lamps on the turkeys and chicks in the laundry room. It's HOT in there! But they like it that way. I hope you can get another one.
My big turkeys follow me too. They are fun. Today I noticed 3 hens out front so I ran out to see if the one setting on the 3 eggs was still there. She was off and one of the eggs had started hatching but I think it was dead. The other 2 eggs were still warm. Well, that hen came running at the goat kids and attacked them! Then ran to the nest. She was just getting water and some food. So I hope the other 2 hatch.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| MommaJ9 |
Posted - Jun 29 2011 : 4:47:24 PM
Kris~One of the chocolate's died...I'm not sure why though. The other is doing great now that we put it up with the meat chicks! I'm hoping the feed store will have another one, but we'll see. A lot of people were having trouble commenting on blogs...it's the ones that have the comment form right under the post. I switched to a pop-up comment form and now it seems to be working. At least for now! :) Our bourbon's finally look "turkey sized"...but without feathers, I'm not sure they'll tip more than 10 lbs! I sure do enjoy them though~they like to follow me around like puppies. Bourbon Red Fred gets all fluffed up and starts spitting...I think he's trying to woo me...Guess I'll take that as a compliment! ;)
Farmgirl #783
http://jabezfarm.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 27 2011 : 1:06:53 PM
Angie, they are really no problem. Even better than chickens. I can herd my turkeys to where I want them to go. Or they just follow me. And they pretty much stay in the big pasture and roost in the coop at night. I think they are alot easier than chickens. Maybe one day he will see what fun they are. And if you get a heritage breed, you'll be helping pass on a breed that's not so prominant. And they really are good birds.
Me and Kansas just moved the poults to the back porch. I found an old metal tub that's really big so they will have more room to grow. And it's way warmer out there too. They are all stretched out in the sun coming through the window.
Jenny, going to look at your blog now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jun 27 2011 : 11:54:08 AM
I just posted a pic on my blog that shows one of my midget whites. They are 5 weeks old now.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| amomfly |
Posted - Jun 27 2011 : 11:32:50 AM
Congrats Kris on the new turkeys!
I am trying to get my hubby to let me keep one hen and one tom to raise some turkeys. So far he is not having it!
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 27 2011 : 06:58:24 AM
Kim, I just went to your blog and saw the turkeys. SO cute! I can't wait to see them a little older now. And I just absolutley love your blog. But for some reason I have a hard time posting to it. At least lately. But that box the meat chicks came in is hilarious! Too funny. I just put 6 in the freezer. Well, 5. We had one for dinners alreay. I said dinners because they make at least 2 dinners. I'm sure you will come up with some very tasty dinners from your birds soon.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 27 2011 : 05:01:13 AM
Jenny, you should see Harper. That boy loves to puff all up and be handsome. He drags his feathers on the ground. And sounds like a tractor off in the distance. I always thought it was til I realized it was him. He's a good boy. They will all follow me. I still just see the 3 hens. Unless the other one comes up with some new babies, I guess she was killed.
Hey there, Kim. I would love to see a picture of the chocolate turkeys. I have not heard of them. Wonder how big they get. It took about 9 months to get the other 2 big enough to acually resemble turkey. They were alot bigger than the 6 and 8 pounders. How many did you get?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 10:56:26 PM
I had a pet turkey named Earl for about 3 years and then gave him to a relative when we moved here in 2002. He lived 3 more years!! He was one of the big ugly white ones. I just loved him though..he had the best personality and loved to hang out with my milk goat Clara that I had at the time. I miss him. I am hoping at least one of the babies I have now turn out to be a pet. Likely all 4 will be pets..sigh. I love that episode of Little House on the Prairie too!!
One of my nephew's asked me once why Earl had all his brains on the outside. I loved that. He did have a colorful "warty" head.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| MommaJ9 |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 10:29:05 PM
Yeah Kris! I wish mine would've hatched their own~it makes things so much easier! Out of the 7 we incubated, 5 are left, but they're still too small to put in with the 4 grown birds. I went to the feed store the other day and they had chocolate turkeys...guess what I brought home? They're supposed to be a little bigger than the Bourbon Reds, so maybe we'll have more than a 6 lb. turkey for Thanksgiving this year! LOL
Farmgirl #783
http://jabezfarm.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 6:27:58 PM
Rachel, that would be good for you. I remember now how he doesn't like to eat what he raises. We have no one close by who does chickens. Closest place is in Kentucky I think. And yes, they are not the brightest animals for sure. She has chosen the hottest place around to set on eggs. And was panting like crazy.
I have not seen that episode of Little house. I bet that was cute. Everyone around here knows where our meat comes from. Right outside the house.
Kris
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| MamaCrunch |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 6:22:21 PM
I've always wanted a pet turkey!
I always think of the episode of Little House on the Prairie when Carrie doesn't understand that "having Tom Turkey for Thanksgiving" does not mean he gets to sit at the table and enjoy the meal!
Farmgirl #2161
Just tryin' to homestead in the middle of a suburban neighborhood!
Blog~ http://thelittleboygreen.com |
| rksmith |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 6:19:02 PM
If a hawk catches a chicken it can't carry it off as the chickens (and turkeys especially) are too big so the hawk generally will pluck and eat it's catch where it is; unless of course the chickens/turkeys are small enough to carry off. Every time a chicken goes missing here my dad swears its one of the red shoulder hawks...the chickens are at least twice the size of the hawk! It is amazing at just how dumb turkeys can be--I do not understand how they make it in the wild, or has domestication dumbed them down? I have never came across a place that will process birds (but haven't ever thought to ask the slaughter house where we've taken other animals either), that would be pretty cool to be able to take them in and not have to deal with it yourself (actually it'd be pretty darned awesome considering how my husband is!!)
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet--Dr. Kioni
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 5:58:38 PM
Jenny, I love my turkeys. They are so funny. I can herd them like sheep. But I am a little worried about Harper. When my granddaughter goes in with me he struts all around her and goes sideways and gets closer and closer to her. I am afraid he might try to jump on her. She's only 8 and not very big. maybe he likes her? Or not. I am not sure. But I don't want him to hurt her so I told her to not go out there with out me. I'd hate for him to have to go in the freezer too.
Rachel, these guys are in a big huge pasture that's all fenced in. It's open though. I do hear coyotes sometimes but they are mostly running past out back and gone in a few seconds. I have seen hawks. And racoons and possums too. So it could have been anything. And these hens were laying on nests out in the pasture in the open. Silly birds. I saw the one that has the 3 eggs and she's right out in the sun panting. I found a little table to put over her and she jumped up and ran off. When I checked on her a little later she was still wandering around. SO I moved it. Then it rained again and now she's sopping wet. I was just trying to help. These little poults sleep in the little bowl of feed too. They are so cute. They lay down like puppies.
Holly, so sorry you lost your chickens. You're right. The wild animals are just doing what they need to do to survive. But it's hard when it's your own animals being eaten. I wouldn't think a little hawk could carry a 15 pound turkey away. But I don't know. It must be nice to have a place to take your birds to have done for you. I just did 6 last week. I don't mind. But some friends want to go in together and get alot of meat birds soon. They will be helping.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Tall Holly |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 5:30:41 PM
We had a gosshawk for a few days eating our meat birds. It ate two, one each day. then I put them in chicken wire. Thehy do not have as big a yard to run in but they are not getting eaten either. the goss hawk flew at the pen two days in a row. someone told me I could shoot it because it was eating my farm animals. I told that person that wild things have a right to live and it is their nature, the hawk was not killing wantonly. I told them that my brain was several sizes bigger than the hawks and I could figure out how to keep the chickens safe. I did.
We have an appointment at the slaughter house for the meat birds on July 7th. They are gaining well in size and I will be glad to have them in the freezer. We aim for 8 pounds.
Holly
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| rksmith |
Posted - Jun 26 2011 : 3:37:07 PM
Kristin, that sucks about something getting the hen. Do yall have coyotes there? We have some down here that'll grab one for sure. What gets me with our hens is that they have 10 nest boxes that they used to lay in...now they all want the same corner. Go figure. Our babies like to sit in the feed and sleep in it too. When they first hatch we put the feed on a paper plate and then when they are a little bigger we put it in feed containers. The ones that we have now are the first ones either of us has ever had...lots of fun!
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet--Dr. Kioni
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 9:13:08 PM
Awwww...I am loving my baby turkeys this year (midget whites) They are 5 weeks old now and all feathered out but less than half the size of the ducks the same age. I am hoping they will hatch some out next year..they are sure cute! There are a zillion turkey farms around here..but I wanted to have a heritage breed.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 7:31:17 PM
Rachel, I thought htere was another turkey hen out in the field setting on a nest. So I went out there and looked around. It's kind of scary because the grass is so high. And there could be snakes. So I was careful. I did see a nest that could be the nest of the hen's who just hatched the eggs. But theyre were still about 6 eggs and one that didn't make it out. But there were lots of feathers. SO it looks like maybe something might have gotten that hen. Then I found another nest with 3 warm eggs in it. And there were 3 hens with the tom when I was feeding them. So I think something got one hen. And I should have checked to see if a hen got back on that nest with the 3 eggs.
I had a lady call about the poults. She wants them all and any more that hatch.
Rachel, that's the way my hens are. They want the same nest. They are so silly.
The little babes are doing good so far. I was worried they weren't eating. I have seen them drinking alot but not eating. They will sit on the bowl of feed. I finally stuck their beaks into the feed and scratched them around. Then I saw some eating. I asked the grands to keep watching them. They said they were eating now.
Kirs
Happiness is simple. |
| rksmith |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 4:36:25 PM
We've got 1 turkey setting again, she adds every egg she can to her nest. Then we have 1 frizzle, 1 ameraucana and 1 turkey who are constantly fighting over who will set in a certain corner of the house. Brad gets those eggs every day and they still pile up on top of one another, when he moves them off the nest the frizzle gets him every chance she can.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet--Dr. Kioni
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 06:55:47 AM
Sherrye, they are all fine this morning. There is another turkey hen out there somewhere that will be hatching some more soon. I was just so surprised to see them yesterday.
I have 4 broody hens right now. So in a few weeks I will have tons of chicks. I have had them change their minds too. Not fun. Lots of wasted eggs.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| rksmith |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 06:53:44 AM
Congratulations! They are too cute.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet--Dr. Kioni
http://madame1313.wordpress.com/ |
| sherrye |
Posted - Jun 25 2011 : 06:40:03 AM
oh kris i am so jealous. yes i want them. i wish i had some now. how are they doing this am. peep peep how cute. well for a few days they are cute in the house. then you know the poop gets too much. how are all your chickens doin how many are sitting? i had one sitting she changed her mind. so we have one mama with one and one mama with 6. they are out running around. hope nothing gets them. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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