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Post by princessferf on Jun 16, 2017 13:10:12 GMT
Each year we raise a set of broiler chickens and turkeys for meat. Each year I'm tempted to keep one set of turkeys to breed but then DH complains and we end up sending them all to freezer camp.
I'd like to get some more information about raising turkeys long term. Can they be housed with laying hens? If I had a breeding pair of turkeys, would it be bad to keep them with the group of chickens that includes a rooster? Do you need a bigger ratio of hens to toms like you do with chickens?
We've been raising chickens for at least 11 years now, but have only had turkeys for meat... so I feel like such a noob when it comes to keeping turkeys beyond butchering season.
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Post by princessferf on Jun 19, 2017 13:22:47 GMT
Thanks, Redfish.
BTW, your avatar cracks me up.
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Post by princessferf on Jun 20, 2017 13:59:09 GMT
Thanks, Redfish. BTW, your avatar cracks me up. People either love it or hate it.  It makes me laugh every time I see it. I don't know why, but laughter is welcome! |
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Post by feather on Jun 20, 2017 15:06:35 GMT
I always think of your avatar as the cat that cleans the other side of my screen. Love it.
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Post by Maura on Jun 20, 2017 18:10:23 GMT
I've wasted too much time looking at your avatar, but I can't help it.
Heritage breed turkeys taste better older rather than younger. So, if you decide to keep heritage breed, keep a couple for 18 months before butchering.
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Post by jupiter on Jun 29, 2017 22:32:22 GMT
I always kept my turkeys with my chickens.
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Post by bergere on Jul 15, 2017 11:18:35 GMT
I had good luck for the most part keeping my Turkeys with my chickens. Cpt Morgan was a very good Tom, he left the chickens alone.
Until I raised up one Tom with chickens and he decided to breed the hens and it would kill them. One of the Turkey hens that was raised with them started killing chickens after that.
If I do that again, I will make sure to raise my turkeys up in a pen away from the chickens until they are 6 to 8 months old, then put them in the main hen house.
Doing it that way, the Toms are less likely to breed the chickens.
I am down to two Turkey hens that get along well with everyone. After that fiasco, not going to keep a Tom. Lost a number of rather expensive hens.
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Post by dustawaits on Jul 15, 2017 13:31:17 GMT
I love turkeys but bergere, you are right on all accounts. Toms will mate with chickens , be they banties or full size. They can also get extremely rough with their own breed. I have stitched up more than one turkey hen. Turkey hens will also kill chicks and even take after the mother hen. By choice I would rather raise turkeys though. They are very smart and be trained. |
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Post by dustawaits on Jul 15, 2017 18:07:47 GMT
My bronze tom weighed 36 lbs when I butchered him at 9 months. He had just killed his "mother" a gorgeous broad breasted banty hen.
She happened to be my favorite and a rare breed at that.
The turkey hens that killed the baby chicks were a color breed being developed. They were pink , lavender, and gray. I also had Spanish toms
running with them plus Narragansett's . They had not been picked for kindness, only color. The toms were fighters and we sold
all but the one we wanted to keep. Only then did the hens mate.
There are 30 years between the two paragraphs. The Bronze we got by choice. Back then most people had Bronze. I
really think that young Bronze male had a Spanish sire.
The color breeds were pawned off on us because the woman raising them decided she did not like them.
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Post by bergere on Jul 15, 2017 21:46:48 GMT
Turkey poults are so much fun and you are right they can be trained and I do love them. Cpt Morgan the tom, was a Bourbon Red, he was massive but he was good with everyone. Kind, gentle soul.
Sadly the Hen turkeys I had at the time turned into some seriously aggressive birds to people and some of the chickens. Raised some poults, sadly only one hen out of that whole batch was good enough in temperament to stay. Was hoping to get more with Cpt Morgan's temperament.
Then we lost Cpt Morgan to a heart attack. Found out, he was a lot older than I was told. Anyway...
People breed just for color and forget to breed birds with good temperaments, like you said DaW. It has ruin a good many breeds sadly.
I am at an age, I want poultry with very good, easy going temperaments, then good conformation and so on.
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