another turkey question please ??

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:50 pm

It does sound very good :!:

thanks jaffa

Jeff

Ritavale · **Posted:** Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:49 am

Aww thanks Jeff what a warm welcome! I'll work on some pics...Ive managed to hatch a plover from an egg that we rescued from the paddock (was going to get ploughed) half the size of a normal chick!

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:56 pm

That's one lucky little plover, is it a masked or banded do you know :?:

Jeff

greenaus · **Posted:** Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:57 pm

Ritavale wrote:

I breed buff turkeys. The females lay about 140 per season and it only lasts about 4 months.

While looking for turkey chicks or fertile eggs I came across someone with a breeding pair for sale (I didn't ask what type because I wasn't really interested until I thought about it later). The seller says they should begin breeding at the end of this month.

Ritavale mentioned that they lay about 140 eggs per year, all in about four months. Does that mean the hen is likely to begin laying at the end of this month, for about four months...about 140 eggs. Four months (late-June to late-October) is approximately 122 days....four and a half months perhaps? Do they lay daily?

If so, even with a dismal 50% hatch rate (incubator), that would be about 70 babies. What is the typical amount charged for turkey chicks @ day old? What about a few weeks?

If this pair breed well and I hatch "ok", I should be able to cover the cost of buying them and feeding them and still have a few left over for ourselves.

moonshadow_dancer · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:28 pm

One of my Turkey Girls disappeared and reappeared with 10 chicks, she was so protective of them. 7 survived and no fault of hers as we had a big storm. They turned out to be chooks, and now these chooks 5 hens and 2 roosters are part of the family, the hens are some of my best layers.

She has disappeared, once again no fault of her own as the other half accidently run over her with the tractor while she was brooding in the bushes down the back paddock.

She was a very attentive mother and now we have great chooks thanks to her. Only problem is the chooks she raised have a big identity problem and like to get high up to roost, also most sounded funny, more like ducks.

Go the Turkey Girls

bettyboo · **Posted:** Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:42 pm

A sad but interesting story, would turkeys hatch duck eggs?
Betty

greenaus · **Posted:** Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:17 pm

I'm going to take a stab and say...

They might try, but they are unlikely to succeed.

Duck eggs need higher humidity (water). Unless the turkey goes swimming during her feed/poo/stretch sessions, failure is likely.

This is based on my limited knowledge of the subject plus a little bit of science. No Googling involved, so you might want to wait for expert answers.

greenaus · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2008 3:57 pm

Chooks can hatch turkey eggs though...

This mum and another shared the hatching of eight Australorp chicks and three turkey poults (not all visible here).

They've been separated now and the other mum still has seven Australorp chicks and 2 turkey poults to hatch.

In answer to the previous question...There was some discussion a couple of days ago about chooks hatching duck eggs, so I guess turkey's can, too.

greenaus · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:32 am

greenaus wrote:

the other mum still has seven Australorp chicks and 2 turkey poults to hatch.

I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch.

There were six Australorp eggs, 3 turkey eggs. All hatched.

One turkey poult disappeared between Monday evening and yesterday afternoon. I reckon my kids took it out and "lost" it.

No-one admits to anything around here. "If dad didn't see me do it, it never happened".

maybeamac · **Posted:** Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:15 pm

I have a question can you keep turkeys with chickens or is that no good.

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