Strange creatures Turkeys

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Trev62
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Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

We started keeping some Turkeys last year mainly to raise one for Christmas dinner, (which, incidentally, once slaughtered was too big to fit into our stove so ended up having to be cut half, tasted good though!). When they started laying they just kept laying which considering they are meant to lay @ 14 eggs a clutch surprised us as they laid way more than that.
We currently are running with one Tom and four hens, now the puzzling part...... two hens are laying in one nest but a completely different hen is sitting on their eggs, they just swap places, like I said they are strange creatures, not sure how it will all turn out but as they say "time will tell".
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lancashire lass
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by lancashire lass »

Trev62 wrote: 20 Feb 2023, 21:10 now the puzzling part...... two hens are laying in one nest but a completely different hen is sitting on their eggs
I know nothing about turkeys but it could either be a clever nest-hiding strategy or you have peculiar turkeys who don't know their roles.
My 2nd allotment plot was close to a plot where a turkey was kept (apparently the tenant didn't get permission from the council (our rules only permitted hens and rabbits) and he had to have it removed which upset him a lot) When I walked past its run, I would just say "gobble gobble gobble" (just the words, no imitation of bird sound) and it would reply back in that characteristic gobble sound - it always made me smile so I would do it a few times which may be how it eventually got discovered on the site.
Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

lancashire lass wrote: 23 Feb 2023, 14:42 When I walked past its run, I would just say "gobble gobble gobble" (just the words, no imitation of bird sound) and it would reply back in that characteristic gobble sound - it always made me smile so I would do it a few times
My partner does something similar and I never cease to be amused that the Tom Turkey responds every time. They are fascinating creatures.
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PK
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by PK »

We keep Norfolk Blacks but I find that the hens are not reliable egg sitters so we hatch ours in an incubator to make sure we have enough to grow on. Ours gobble back just as LL describes. In fact any loud noise sets them off.
Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

We split the eggs of all the birds we raise, placing a portion of each in our incubators and let the birds sit on the rest. We then try and place the young hatchlings back in with their parents to be raised. It works well most of the time.
If the sitting turkeys stop sitting we will lift the eggs and place them in the incubators to hopefully hatch them. This is our first lot of breeding turkeys and understood (as you stated) turkeys are bad mothers so already have one incubator running full of turkey eggs and another on standby for if these eggs get abandoned.
What baffles us, is the fact they have been laying since last December and still show no sign of stopping.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

Took some time out today to just watch these two broody hens in action. Both sitting side by side, when one moved or stood up the other hen would stretch her neck and pull as many eggs as she could from the other nest underneath her, later when she moved the other hen would do the same to take them back. Often they would just sit there seemingly chatting to each.
Hopefully one of the hens will last the course and hatch some poults, the main issue I foresee is that eggs are still being laid in the nest (by whom I do not know) so the egg count is still rising.
Interesting times ahead.
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Mo
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Mo »

So if they do hatch they might all hatch at different times.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

Mo wrote: 01 Mar 2023, 18:45 So if they do hatch they might all hatch at different times.
That was my thinking as well which means if the hens hatch any poults and leave the nest vacant I will have to candle the eggs left and place them in an incubator.
I am not sure how this is going to work out but it will be interesting and something to learn from.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

Today we removed seven turkey poults from our small incubator. All are currently nestling under the heat plate, now comes the issue of getting them to find their way to eat and drink. The best way is to have a couple of young chicks to show them as I understand the eyesight of turkey poults is not great (rather like mine these days!) but we have none at present, so a regular beak dip in both is the way forward.
We still have two hens sharing their eggs in the barn which is surprising so fingers crossed all goes well and we can merge them together later.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

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We noticed yesterday one of our turkey poults has weak legs, so we used the old trick of wrapping a self adhesive crepe bandage around its body so trapping its legs as if it was sitting down underneath its body, we released him today and all is well. Why it works I have no idea but we have used this method successfully on a few occasions.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

Another story regarding our turkeys.....
We awoke one fine sunny morning and proceeded to release all the birds from their overnight accommodation. On letting the turkeys out we discovered blood everywhere inside where they lived and several with it on their faces. We checked them over and found one had obviously been picked on and had a fractured beak.
We segregated her, cleaned her up and then loaded her into the car and off we toddled to the vets where, after being fascinated that a couple of mad Brits had brought this turkey to see them with a beak split down the centre and halfway across they provided us with some glue to stick it back together which we duly did.
She is checked every week and we sand down her beak to keep it in shape, well worth the effort as she is one of the hens sitting on eggs at present.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

Our turkey poults are doing well at present, still inside as the temperatures have dropped again but they get a run out for a few hours when the sun breaks through.
On releasing the other turkeys this morning I found eggs all over their roosting area so thought they had given up on them but after a clean out and egg check before replacing them in the nest both turkeys returned to sit on them. I suspect the tom may have tried his luck mating one of them hence the disturbance so he has been banished to his own area overnight. Time will tell if I have guessed correctly.
Still intrigued how this will go, what with eggs laid over a long period of time and two turkeys sharing the work load.
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manda
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by manda »

Hi Trev .... We used to keep Turkeys (I really miss them I love chickens but I think Turkeys are much more interesting birds to be honest)....our Jenny's used to regularly share nest sitting duties. After the poults arrived they'd share looking after them too so maybe they are much more communal than chickens too...bit of a turkey kibbutz - all working for the common good:-D
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

I also find them harder to rear, they seem to struggle around the two week point, our incubated poults we have started feeding mashed boiled eggs for extra protein which seems to help them. I enjoy the loud booming sound the males make especially whilst doing their stomp. They fascinate me.
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Trev62
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Re: Strange creatures Turkeys

Post by Trev62 »

Well our surviving Tom (male) turkey who we call Rumpole (he reminds us of the actor from Rumpole of the Bailey) has taken a major dislike to us humans. In attempting to intimidate and chase us out of the area he and his girls live in during the day he comes at you attempting his Kung Fu kicks or leading with his beak first direct attack approach, turn your back on him and he is there ambushing you from behind.
Strange as in the morning he is no problem but he just builds up his bad attitude during the day.
We will put up with him for now as he is producing some lovely birds and it is still breeding season but we have two nice young Toms we are bringing on and if they prove to be good sires (when old enough) then the end of Rumpole could well be in sight!
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