Here's my Turkzillas Toms with a hen in the background and Dee my partridge silkie in the front and of course Owen (14lbs)
Turkzillas!
The biggest Tom
Thier tails are never clean or nicely feather, they are out in the rain right now so they will be clean for a little while
This is the smaller Tom
Are you going to eat them? I'd love to see what they weigh. We're still working on Sumo Turkey.
Hummmmm.... can you eat a turkey you name??? Just asking as I've never raised anything I intended to .. well... you know... eat!!! I like the optimisticly BIG names of Sumo Turkey and Turkzillas!
Oh we are going to eat them! They are being "done" on the 18th, the largest is going to my sisters, she has the whole family for TG dinner, the other Tom is going to my friend Claudettes and her big extended family, one hen is going across the road to our neighbors (my dh has known them forever) and the other we are splitting with my folks.
Of course you can eat them! I even hug them to check how big those broad breasts are doing! (they are white broad breasted turkeys) It can be dangerous though those wings are very strong
Beautiful birds, Lorak! I think they look so majestic!
Can I pick your brain about how you raise them? Everyone down here always keep their turkeys off the ground in cages-they build runs for them(also off the ground). I would prefer to keep mine in pens so they have plently of room to run around. Not sure of the reason why they do this. I wanted to order some poults next spring but would like to get an area set up now before the ground freezes. Any advice?
Sue
I'm such a weiny. I'm afraid of chickens! When I was very young I had the misfortune of catching one of my grandfather's banty chicks. The banty mother hen liked to beat me to death! I've been nervous about ANYTHING that flys ever since!!! (What can I say? I guess I'm a coward, or is that "chicken"?)
Its my first time raising them, I raised them like I did the guineas and chickens. Did the brooder and then kept them in the coop, then the fenced in area till they were about 8 weeks old (guineas weren't allowed out till 12wks) then free ranged until the sunday before TG. I think your neighbors want to keep them safer than free ranging and maybe they would be more tender? This is them at 2 weeks old, I built a pen inside the coop to keep everyone together and a heat lamp to keep them warm. The silkies were almost 5 weeks old and ss & marans were 6wks old
better pic
The big turkeys like bronzes and whites don't need much fencing. They don't even try to fly, so my turkey pasure was three foot high plastic snow fence webbing inside my fenced in yard. Narragansetts are annother story. I haven't been able to keep them in any fence (or off the roof for that matter), but you certainly don't have to worry about ground preditors with them.
Thanks everyone! We have coyotes that come through the yard. Earlier this year I looked out my window and there was one about 75 feet from the house! Wish I had my camera! He was cleaning out our woodchucks(yeah!) Do you think a fishercat would bother the turkeys? I've lost ducks to this nasty creature.
After seeing your birds, Lorak, I can't wait to get some!
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/environment/x1596401152 this was just a month ago
WOW... that link was something else! It is hard to make ANY enclosure secure enough to protect the turkeys from all potential hazzards. I wouldn't think the barn would be "tight" enough to prevent a fisher from making it into there if it wanted.
psychw2 is right.Fishers are determined and smart. Have you thought about putting a large goose out with the ducks? Coyotes were pretty bad around here for a while, but they wouldn't come through the fence as the geese put up a terible noise every time they came near. Of course some of the geese can be more of a pain in the butt (literally) than the coyotes.
My big turkeys were out by the back fence and nobody bothered them, though the eagle took two chickens. He ate one on the roof right in front of me. It's like he knows we can't do anything about him. Kind of like the blue heron who eats my koi and then poops them on my shed roof.
I'll take coyotes any day. I know how to deal with them!
Oh I would be heartsick. I've talked to DEM and they told me if you can prove they are a nuisance than you can hire a trapper to try to get rid of them. But it doesn't bring back your birds.
The new duck pen we are building makes me a bit nervous. They will be little bit further from the house than they are now. about 30' now and they will be about 50' away when we move them. After we moved them to right behind our house we haven't had a problem.
Here's a pic of what we've done so far:
We used the backhoe to dig down about 15 inches and buried the fence to help keep out diggers.
Oh Jylgaskin! I died laughing when you said the Blue Heron ate the Koi and then pooped right back at ya on the shed roof. Kind of like "TAKE THAT!" Oh goodness... so sorry the rotten bird got your fish. First time I saw a Blue Heron in flight I thought I'd have a heart attack! Holy cow they are big!
My little "pond" was INSIDE a former dog run with 6 foot chain link fence. I had a arch with clematis over it. I don't know if the bird couldn't "see" my pond, or whether the fence walls were just too much a deterrant, but I never did have have problems with birds poaching my fish.
If you think a heron is big in the air, you ought to face one down on the deck. He looked me in the eye and clicked his beak. I went back in the house . I finially beaned him with an apple and now he gives me a bit more respect. I usually lay some bird netting over the pond, but this spring he got tangled in it and I had to cut him free. They are dangerous birds. I got several stiches once after going out on a rehab call for one.. The beak is not only like a dagger, but like a knife on the edges. Not to mention, they are almost 4 1/2 feet tall.
YOU are braver woman than me... I'll cut a horse out of fence but I'm NOT going to attempt a rescue of a Blue Heron, they scare the crud out of me!
Dumber than brave, I think. It goes with being a rehabber.
Lorak i have read that turkeys have a high death rate . Did you have problems with that . Of course what you read isn't always the truth is it hahahaha.
HEre is my stupid question of the day. Will a turkey fly away . i m new to all this farm stuff. Be kind. :)
I m learing so much form Dg wit hall the farming .
I can't wait to raise my own .
thanks
sue
We didn't really have any more losses than with chickens. We lost one chick two days after we brought them home and one to the eagle when they were about two pounds. I know my Narries fly like blue birds, but do the other smaller breeds like palms and bourbons fly?
When I went out this morning, my Narries were nowhere to be found, but there were fresh tracks in the snow by the door. After I fed everyone, I called for them (Tom, Tom and the Girls) and they came running from two doors down. There are a bunch of construction workers renting the house and they put all kinds of feed out for my deer, the turkeys followed me down there one day and now they think they should be able to go there on their own. I've never seen them any further away than that though. I was a little worried as I raised them with a couple of wild turkeys who were here for rehab, but the wild ones left and these stayed.
My bronzes (who, by the way, are the dumbest birds ever to wear feathers), never wanted to get out of sight of their food dish. Even after I took their fence down, they just hung around the dish for a couple of days. Then word got to them that there was one at the house that was always full.
I don't know, I thought turkeys were really easy. What about everybody you, Laura
hmm i will have to check on my reading . funny how you read, but really in the end its talking iwth people that have the best answers
i am really looking forward to raising turkeys. I think they are neat birds. hahaha dumbest birds to have feathers lol :) that breed will fit right in with me and my family lol :) i always say to my kids when they are acting jsut down right goofy
"Its hard to soar with eagles when your surronded by turkeys " lol :)
thanks
i hope yo udon't mind me picking your brain.
thanks
sue
The only way any of my turkeys would fly is by plane! I started with 6, I lost one after he went lame, he got too big too fast and a second was going the same way so I gave him to a farm that could dress him anytime if he got any lamer, I don't dress them, I can pluck but I cannot do the deed.
These 4 see a truck pull into my driveway and run towards it, trucks mean FOOD! I think they were easy, just keep them well feed and watered and a clean house and yard. Turkeys are supposed to be prone to diseases, the only thing I ever treated mine with was turkey starter for a week. I racked up where the shaving and hay added up outside thier door, totally cleaned out there house ever other week or so, cleaning wet or poopy areas daily. Everythings clean and everyones happy and healthy
If you free range, they stomp to death any flower or small bush they don't eat, TURKZILLAS! Mine were kept in thier house for about 6 weeks and were 8wks old before I let them out and they go right back in every night. They never wander far, I can always see them.
Remember, mine won't live a good long life, they are bred to gain a lot of weight in a short time. When you see how they walk when they get BIG its cruel to keep them longer than you should. Other breeds can last many years and have poults.
Turkzillas hahaha that is cute .
what breed are the turkzillas ?
Im learing alot , and getting excited.
so they stomp on flowers the ydon't eat huh. Are they picky eaters :)
When you say dressing . You mean the actual "crrrrrrrck" or the skinning and gutting. I think i will leave that to my FIL , he is a true country kid.
thanks alot Lorak
i do appeciate your time
sue
jylgaskin, I to think turkeys are easy to raise. The several Bronze my neighbor has had were easy. I think he bought 9 and 8 survived. He butchered 6 and still has 2 after 2.5 years. I can let them eat pasture grass for a week at a time or grain feed them. They love the grain and eat like pigs from the pan but can subsist for quite a while on grass like the wild turkeys do. Our waddle ... they are big.
Dressing is (I think anyways) killing cleaning and plucking so they are dressed for dinner!. Mine are broad breasted whites. I just got oil and the guy was amazed by thier size!
The only thing that mine never ate was onion peels that ended up in the scraps bowl. Anything literally, l make sure it is fully cooked though even stuff old from the freeze They happily eat everything!
This message was edited Nov 8, 2007 7:29 PM
So turkeys are not picky eaters huh. I bet they STUFF themselves . LOLOLOL i m sorry i had to say it. aaaaahhhhhh.
ok got it, give them clean living, lots of yummies. water and watch for disease and parasites. hmmm sounds easy enough.
i m so glad i found these threads on turkeys.
Lorak are you sure your not feeding them Miracle Grow ? lol :)
sue
Hello!
I had turkeys for a few years and had no problems at all. They were free ranged and hatched their own babies. very mean mommies. I had bronze,LG breasted white,lavender,splash and royal palm. Mine just got out of control and i had to reduce my herd. I sold mine and made a great return on my investment. I even ate the eggs(when i could find the nest) Talk about huge deviled eggs! I loved having them at the time, but they did stomp and eat gardens and seemed to only want to poop on the sidewalk, so at the new house i will not be raising turkeys.
George
We had to say turkeys don't wander, my four plus my guineas were at the end of my driveway on the edge of the road! I happen to look out to check on the dogs and there they were 300ft down the driveway. They did NOT want to climb back up the hill, especially one the hens. My nieghbor came out to see what all the noise was and helped for a little while.
9 days to go and they could have been turkey a la flat!
They wander, but not far and definately not after they get FAT! Every once in a while my Narries go out to the road. Tom Tom really stops traffic.
jylgaskin, I would bet at this time of year people with a few well placed Bronze, Royal Palms or Narragansette turkeys could charge for admission to the right crowd.
I watched them this morning when I let them out, they were looking for grass to eat, everything near the house is pretty short already. I went to the store and bought them organic grapes, spinach, and a couple of different salad mixes. I would rather pay the extra than take a chance at this point, 8 days to, just need to keep them healthy and out of the road!