# Official BYH Poll: What Animals Do You Have In Your Backyard Herd?



## BYH Project Manager

What animals do you have in your backyard herd?
If your animal is not on the current list please comment with it in the comments section below.


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## Hudson and me

I have:
12 chickens 
2 dogs
1 guinea pig
1 rabbit
1 horse 

I used to have budgies too but that didn’t work out.


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## BYH Project Manager

Hudson and me said:


> I have:
> 12 chickens
> 2 dogs
> 1 guinea pig
> 1 rabbit
> 1 horse
> 
> I used to have budgies too but that didn’t work out.


What happened to your budgies?


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## Fuchsia

I have :
1 dog
25 guinea fowl
18 chickens and roosters
4 cows
6 ducks
5 goats
3 pigs
and 2 rabbits.

And in the summer we raise 450 meat chickens.


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## River Buffaloes

A lot of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl. Chickens are in hundreds. I also have 10 buffaloes. I am planning to get goats.


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## BYH Project Manager

Fuchsia said:


> I have :
> 1 dog
> 25 guinea fowl
> 18 chickens and roosters
> 4 cows
> 6 ducks
> 5 goats
> 3 pigs
> and 2 rabbits.
> 
> And in the summer we raise 450 meat chickens.


Wow! 450 meat chickens??? That's impressive!!


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## BYH Project Manager

River Buffaloes said:


> A lot of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl. Chickens are in hundreds. I also have 10 buffaloes. I am planning to get goats.


10 Buffaloes??? If you don't mind me asking, are you keeping them as pets or another purpose?


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## River Buffaloes

BYH Project Manager said:


> 10 Buffaloes??? If you don't mind me asking, are you keeping them as pets or another purpose?



Why do you ask so? Buffaloes are farm animals. They say that "buffaloes are truly an animal of the farmers".


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## River Buffaloes

BYH Project Manager said:


> 10 Buffaloes??? If you don't mind me asking, are you keeping them as pets or another purpose?



There's a buffalo calf in my Avatar, he cute as a button.


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## BYH Project Manager

River Buffaloes said:


> Why do you ask so? Buffaloes are farm animals. They say that "buffaloes are truly an animal of the farmers".


Well some farmers keep buffaloes for their milk. It is richer in calcium and protein than cow's milk, and has less cholesterol and sodium. Plus Buffalo Meat has a high level of protein and iron and it has been proven to lower cholesterol levels up to 45% within a 6 month period because it is high in Omega 3's and 6's which aid in combating cholesterol.

But most people don't think of keeping Buffaloes.


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## Hudson and me

BYH Project Manager said:


> What happened to your budgies?


One killed the other and then we had to give the remaining one away to my friend


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## River Buffaloes

BYH Project Manager said:


> Well some farmers keep buffaloes for their milk. It is richer in calcium and protein than cow's milk, and has less cholesterol and sodium. Plus Buffalo Meat has a high level of protein and iron and it has been proven to lower cholesterol levels up to 45% within a 6 month period because it is high in Omega 3's and 6's which aid in combating cholesterol.
> 
> But most people don't think of keeping Buffaloes.



We keep Buffaloes for milk. We also have another herd that are solely for sale. We buy dry buffaloes and weaned calves and then we prepare them and when they calves they are sold back.


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## Baymule

We have
3 horses
5 LGD dogs
12 ewes and 1 ram
1 steer that we are feeding out for slaughter
1 pig in the freezer LOL. We sold the other one
9 pullets that have not started laying, just slaughtered the old layers (8) and gave the meat to disabled neighbors
34 Cornish Cross meat chickens, just slaughtered 11 of them, 4 more to go as they were 2 weeks older, then let the other 29 grow for 3 more weeks. 
2 Looney Goonies. (guineas) 2 males, dogs went on a dysfunctional rampage and killed off my flock. the 2 males are now lonely, see their reflection in the chrome trim on husbands truck and think they have friends. They nestle down next to the truck, chase it when we leave and run to greet their "friends" when we return.


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## Baymule

Fuchsia said:


> I have :
> 1 dog
> 25 guinea fowl
> 18 chickens and roosters
> 4 cows
> 6 ducks
> 5 goats
> 3 pigs
> and 2 rabbits.
> 
> And in the summer we raise 450 meat chickens.



What do you do with so many meat chickens? Do you sell the meat? Would you please do a thread here on how you raise and process them on your next batch? Tag me when you do! Do you have a thread on BYH on them? I raise some for sale in the spring, have 1 loyal customer, that pays for ours. This year I have gained 2 more customers, that's why I am raising a fall bunch. 

I'd rather raise them in early spring, before the darned snakes are active. This batch stinks too. I move their tractor daily, but they stink. I guess it's the heat. I am "paying" a couple of neighbors out of this bunch with chicken meat, the old barter system!


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## River Buffaloes

Baymule said:


> We have
> 3 horses
> 5 LGD dogs
> 12 ewes and 1 ram
> 1 steer that we are feeding out for slaughter
> 1 pig in the freezer LOL. We sold the other one
> 9 pullets that have not started laying, just slaughtered the old layers (8) and gave the meat to disabled neighbors
> 34 Cornish Cross meat chickens, just slaughtered 11 of them, 4 more to go as they were 2 weeks older, then let the other 29 grow for 3 more weeks.
> 2 Looney Goonies. (guineas) 2 males, dogs went on a dysfunctional rampage and killed off my flock. the 2 males are now lonely, see their reflection in the chrome trim on husbands truck and think they have friends. They nestle down next to the truck, chase it when we leave and run to greet their "friends" when we return.



Eat the remaining two guineas and get a new batch of 15-20 guinea keets. Guineas perform best in a flock of 10 or more.


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## Baymule

One of the males actually belongs to a neighbor, he got a snake in his coop and the male literally "flew the coop" and showed up over here. LOL. I did a lot of beating dogs with dead guineas, yelling, screaming, whipping with rolled up newspaper and showing my displeasure. Dumb dogs really went off the rails.


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## Fuchsia

Baymule said:


> What do you do with so many meat chickens? Do you sell the meat? Would you please do a thread here on how you raise and process them on your next batch? Tag me when you do! Do you have a thread on BYH on them? I raise some for sale in the spring, have 1 loyal customer, that pays for ours. This year I have gained 2 more customers, that's why I am raising a fall bunch.
> 
> I'd rather raise them in early spring, before the darned snakes are active. This batch stinks too. I move their tractor daily, but they stink. I guess it's the heat. I am "paying" a couple of neighbors out of this bunch with chicken meat, the old barter system!


I don't have a thread yet on here but next time we get them I will make a thread and tag you!   
Next time we get them will be spring.


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## Baymule

River Buffaloes said:


> Eat the remaining two guineas and get a new batch of 15-20 guinea keets. Guineas perform best in a flock of 10 or more.


I caught the two males last night!!! They were so lonely that they flew over the garden fence to join the 9 pullets and followed them into the coop when I put the pullets up for the night. I called Neighbor Robert and told him, he's coming over this morning to get them. He has 3 young ones and thinks at least 2 are females. He has been trying to get a flock established too. He used my incubator and hatched out some. EVERYTHING wants guineas.


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## River Buffaloes

Baymule said:


> I caught the two males last night!!! They were so lonely that they flew over the garden fence to join the 9 pullets and followed them into the coop when I put the pullets up for the night. I called Neighbor Robert and told him, he's coming over this morning to get them. He has 3 young ones and thinks at least 2 are females. He has been trying to get a flock established too. He used my incubator and hatched out some. EVERYTHING wants guineas.



I don't know whether that's the best idea. I find mixing guineas from different flocks and of different age rather difficult. Your two males may bully young ones pretty bad. Guineas are rather difficult birds to keep. 


Side note :- everytime I typed guineas my autocorrect showed me "Guinness"


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## Jesusfreak101

We currently have 
4 goats
2calves (more on property but two are ours)
6pigs(3for processing, 2pregnant females on intacted male)
7 geese
10 ducks
20-30chickens (i need to count lol)
5 rabbits
1dog
2 cats 
2 pet toads. 
Oh and do human kids count they  seem to be the hardest to keep out of trouble


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## MuldrowHomeFarm

River Buffaloes said:


> There's a buffalo calf in my Avatar, he cute as a button.


He is cute as a button! His ears are so precious!!


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## MuldrowHomeFarm

We have:
7 dogs
4 cats
28 goats, 5 are pregnant 
6 donkeys
6 Alpaca
140 Chickens
24 Guineas
And 1 Captain Spiderman! (2.5 yr old grandbaby)


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## River Buffaloes

MuldrowHomeFarm said:


> He is cute as a button! His ears are so precious!!



Buffalo babies are just supercute and cuddly. Their cuddliness doesn't go with age either. They are one of the most reliable livestock too. A hand raised horse, goat or even chicken turn up against you and turn into a bully overnight, but a I have never heard or seen a buffalo attacking their owners. I have had cows who have attacked my family members, but never buffaloes. Riding my buffaloes to and from the national park is one of my favorite childhood memories.


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## River Buffaloes

MuldrowHomeFarm said:


> We have:
> 7 dogs
> 4 cats
> 28 goats, 5 are pregnant
> 6 donkeys
> 6 Alpaca
> 140 Chickens
> 24 Guineas
> And 1 Captain Spiderman! (2.5 yr old grandbaby)




Bet you are having the time of your life. Farm life is quite an experience, isn't it.


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## Sheepbaroness

Besides sheep, chickens, ducks, cattle, dogs, cats, we also have one goose, and a llama.


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## Niele da Kine

Mostly we have rabbits.  There's somewhere around forty of them at the moment, but seventeen of that number are two weeks old or less with another litter due on Friday.  Usually there's between 16 to 24 adults here at any particular time.  They're English angoras for providing fiber to make Hula Bunny yarn which is sold at a shop in town.











Three haircuts per year and about one pound of good fiber per bunny per year


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## MuldrowHomeFarm

River Buffaloes said:


> Bet you are having the time of your life. Farm life is quite an experience, isn't it.


I was raised on a farm. From birth to 18, we had 330 acres. We raised goats, chickens and had horses. We had pigs and sheep at one time, that is gow I know I don't want them again! We had actual farm land. 300 acres committed to soybeans, cotton, maize, corn and whatever else we knew would sell. Worst and only whipping my Daddy ever gave me was for me and my cousins tearing up 5 acres of soybeans by playing chase in the field!
My Daddy would be shocked and thrilled to know I chose to make my life farming again.


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## River Buffaloes

MuldrowHomeFarm said:


> I was raised on a farm. From birth to 18, we had 330 acres. We raised goats, chickens and had horses. We had pigs and sheep at one time, that is gow I know I don't want them again! We had actual farm land. 300 acres committed to soybeans, cotton, maize, corn and whatever else we knew would sell. Worst and only whipping my Daddy ever gave me was for me and my cousins tearing up 5 acres of soybeans by playing chase in the field!
> My Daddy would be shocked and thrilled to know I chose to make my life farming again.




You should be proud of yourself too. You and your dear husband are providing a very fulfilling life for not only yourself, but also for your loved ones. And you are doing it not to fill your pockets, but to fill your life.


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## MuldrowHomeFarm

River Buffaloes said:


> You should be proud of yourself too. You and dear husband are providing a very fulfilling life for not only yourself, but also for your loved ones. And you are doing it not to fill your pockets, but to fill your life.


So very true but I would love to cushion my pockets along the way!! Farm life is anything but cheap! Feeding this crew alone is enough to choke me! We do know that it will come around by them feeding us eventually!


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## Finnie

I like this topic. It’s been very interesting. I put other because geese weren’t on the list. I also used to have turkeys, but sold out of them for the time being. And my last cat died recently, so no more kitties until DH decides the mice get bad without them.


I breed budgies, but they are in the house, so I didn’t even think about that on the list. Been breeding those for 11 years now. I quit once, and started back up a year later. This year will be my last. Honest!


Hudson and me said:


> One killed the other and then we had to give the remaining one away to my friend


You know, a budgie killing another one would be highly unusual. Not impossible of course, because you can never completely  generalize when it comes to animals. Occasionally there will be some that just can’t get along, and they can get into some nasty fights, but they don’t usually fight to the death. What is more likely, and what people don’t think about, is that if one dies for whatever reason, the remaining ones will sometimes cannibalize the body. So then that appears as though it was murder, even if it wasn’t. I’m really sorry your budgie experience turned out badly!


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## River Buffaloes

MuldrowHomeFarm said:


> So very true but I would love to cushion my pockets along the way!! Farm life is anything but cheap! Feeding this crew alone is enough to choke me! We do know that it will come around by them feeding us eventually!



Once I asked a group of young people "which revolution was the most consequencestial in human history", some said the French revolution, some said the Russian revolution, some said the glorious revolution, nobody said the "Neolithic revolution".

 The people deciding to abandon the nomadic lifestyle of hunter gathers and domesticating plants and animals was the most consequencestial decision our species ever made. It was not an easy choice. The grains, the fruits, the vegetables, the animals we see today didn't exist back then. They are the results of the Neolithic revolution. Still they did it, they stuck to it. Why? Why did our ancestors decide to start farming? Well we don't know, my theory is that they wanted to control of their lives. Farming is all about taking control of yourself. 

I think we should start with trying to save money and then go to make money part with the farming.  More food you are able to grow for yourself and your menagerie, the more money you will save. Start with the millet next year, they are the hardiest crops.


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## Hudson and me

Finnie said:


> I like this topic. It’s been very interesting. I put other because geese weren’t on the list. I also used to have turkeys, but sold out of them for the time being. And my last cat died recently, so no more kitties until DH decides the mice get bad without them.
> 
> 
> I breed budgies, but they are in the house, so I didn’t even think about that on the list. Been breeding those for 11 years now. I quit once, and started back up a year later. This year will be my last. Honest!
> 
> You know, a budgie killing another one would be highly unusual. Not impossible of course, because you can never completely  generalize when it comes to animals. Occasionally there will be some that just can’t get along, and they can get into some nasty fights, but they don’t usually fight to the death. What is more likely, and what people don’t think about, is that if one dies for whatever reason, the remaining ones will sometimes cannibalize the body. So then that appears as though it was murder, even if it wasn’t. I’m really sorry your budgie experience turned out badly!


True, I think he may have been ill so it was kind of a kill-off-the-weak kind of situation. He used to be very lethargic and puffed up. And then she used to attack you if you even tried to pick her up.


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## thethinkingweasel

Finnie said:


> I like this topic. It’s been very interesting. I put other because geese weren’t on the list.



Same here! We have a flock of mostly "ornamental" geese in addition to our chickens, pigs, ducks (new ducklings this year!), sheep, one goat, dogs, and barn cats.


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## Tammyd57

Right now, we consist of:
6 horses-assorted breeds and sizes
3 Angora Goat wethers- assorted colors, kept for their Mohair fiber
Approximately 10-12 barn cats- their numbers fluctuate
9 Silky Chickens- we keep those just because they are so freaking funny!
2 Shih tzu housepups
Me, and one very tolerant husband


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## Baymule

River Buffaloes said:


> More food you are able to grow for yourself and your menagerie, the more money you will save.



You and I are on the same page. I have a hard time understanding people who do nothing to feed themselves. Not even a tomato plant, nothing, no effort at all on their part. There is nothing like fresh produce that was just picked off the plant!


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## Ridgetop

1 Molly Mule
3 Dorper Rams
9 bred Dorper Ewes (due now through January)
4 bred fall 2019 ewe lambs (due December through March)
5 open spring 2020 ewe lambs (to be bred in spring)
2  open nursing Dorper ewes (will be bred back in3 months)
2  newborn fall 2020 ewe lambs
2  newborn fall 2020 ram lambs
Total of 28 Dorper sheep protected by 3 Anatolian livestock guardian dogs


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## farmerjan

PRESENTLY
10-25 cats/kittens.... barn semi feral animals
collectively (son and mine) 150 beef cows, avg wt 1100 lbs... and they calve yearly.... sell the calves mostly as feeders at weaning time around 500 lbs or so... Have someone that regularly buys 15-30 heifers at weaning and steers get sold in a feeder sale/livestock auction.
25 or so replacement heifers raised yearly
2 purebred jersey cows  used for house milk and as nurse cows
5 jer/hol bred heifers and cows
1 jer steer going in my freezer shortly
10+ 800-1200 lb steers and heifers for sale as beef
8 beef bulls used for breeding and sometimes rented out for breeding to others....avg 1500-2000 lbs
15 rams and about 10 ewes....White Texas Dall sheep.  Bred  for the rams horns sold to hunting preserves...also some killed for meat but they are not a meat breed per se.
Puerbred New Hampshire and purebred Black Langshan chickens both in large fowl for show and eggs
Raise anywhere from 30-200 cornish x meat birds  a year.
We also make 2-3000 sq bales of orchard grass hay to sell; and about 1500 rolls of some orchard grass and mixes grass hay for our cattle to eat.  We grow 15 acres of corn to chop for silage and 20 acres of sorghum-sudan grass that makes a good hay and can be chopped for silage -known as haylage-  as well as wheat or barley that is grown on any open ground for a cover crop that is also made into hay.  

Have raised dorset sheep, and had 12 sows of hampshire and duroc and berkshire breeds to raise feeder pigs to sell.  Had 150 layers for free range pasture eggs.
Royal Palm Turkeys for years
Had about 10 tanks of tropical fish just because I like then and will again once I get settled in the new house.


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## Baymule

@farmerjan what did you like or dislike about the Royal Palm turkeys? They are very eye catching! Nothing like eye candy to go along with meat purposes. Did they set their eggs and raise their own young?


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## farmerjan

Liked the Royal Palms  More active but not aggressive behavior.  Set and hatched and raised their own poults.  Not quite as big as some of the other breeds.  I only have some experience with the Bourbon Reds also, and they too were pretty good at setting and raising their own.  Only reason I got out at the time is I moved and no good place to keep them.  Turkeys do much better out with room to roam some. A small "pen" just doesn't suit them well.  They will eat alot of bugs and stuff if out foraging. Neither is broad breasted so they can breed naturally.


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## Baymule

I really don't need to add another species, but it is tempting. LOL


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## Finnie

Baymule said:


> I really don't need to add another species, but it is tempting. LOL


Do it! Do it! Turkeys are awesome! 

On the other hand, they can be real pains in the butts and get in lots of trouble, but it’s just because they have so much character. I have to admit, taking care of my birds has been so much easier this year without the turkeys.


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## Finnie

farmerjan said:


> purebred Black Langshan chickens


I love Black Langshans. Probably more than any other kind of chicken I’ve had.


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## Baymule

Finnie said:


> Do it! Do it! Turkeys are awesome!
> 
> On the other hand, they can be real pains in the butts and get in lots of trouble, but it’s just because they have so much character. I have to admit, taking care of my birds has been so much easier this year without the turkeys.


I don't know where I would put them. That would require a whole new project...... NO! I do not need turkeys! I do not need turkeys! I do not need turkeys! LOL


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## messybun

Baymule said:


> I don't know where I would put them. That would require a whole new project...... NO! I do not need turkeys! I do not need turkeys! I do not need turkeys! LOL


Good on you, keep repeating the mantra... I do not need turkeys, I don’t think I need turkeys, I don’t neeed turkeys, well they don’t gobble too loudly.


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## Finnie

messybun said:


> Good on you, keep repeating the mantra... I do not need turkeys, I don’t think I need turkeys, I don’t neeed turkeys, well they don’t gobble too loudly.


Speaking of gobbling, one of the cute/quirky things about tom turkeys, is that you can make them gobble on cue. It’s so fun! But, then whenever you try to talk to someone, the turkey will immediately drown out each sentence with his gobbling. Very difficult to hold a conversation around turkeys!


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## messybun

Finnie said:


> Speaking of gobbling, one of the cute/quirky things about tom turkeys, is that you can make them gobble on cue. It’s so fun! But, then whenever you try to talk to someone, the turkey will immediately drown out each sentence with his gobbling. Very difficult to hold a conversation around turkeys!


I’ve personally expiremented with the best fowl to hold discussions. I’ve found that chickens just respond with “whaat” and that can be frustrating the third time you have to explain. I’ve also found ducks like to sass back at everything you say. Thank you for saving me time on turkeys. 🤣


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## Hens and Roos

We currently have
1 dog-she's 3 legged and hangs out inside with us but goes outside when we do
2 fish tanks(each about 90 gallons) one has guppies/platy/sword tail and the other tank Cichlids
2 French angora rabbits
5 Runner ducks-DS(15) would like to add a few more next spring, he finds them cool
9 Chickens
19 goats(5 which we are working on selling & 2 for our freezer)


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## farmerjan

messybun said:


> Good on you, keep repeating the mantra... I do not need turkeys, I don’t think I need turkeys, I don’t neeed turkeys, well they don’t gobble too loudly.


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## farmerjan

Start the poults right after you kill off the spring cornish....then they will be ready to go out loose when you get the fall bunch.... or start them early;  put them in the chicken tractor until they have their good flight feathers.... give them a shed with a roost for night and let them loose and then get the cornish.... they will learn to roost up high enough to not be bait for possums and other stuff like that.... the dogs ought to be able to protect them from most of the other predators....


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## Baymule

farmerjan said:


> Start the poults right after you kill off the spring cornish....then they will be ready to go out loose when you get the fall bunch.... or start them early;  put them in the chicken tractor until they have their good flight feathers.... give them a shed with a roost for night and let them loose and then get the cornish.... they will learn to roost up high enough to not be bait for possums and other stuff like that.... the dogs ought to be able to protect them from most of the other predators....


Do they lay in a nest box like chickens or do they go "hide" so snakes and dogs can eat their eggs?


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## farmerjan

It's a toss up.  Had several that laid in the horse trailer where they felt safer I guess.  They sort of pick their spot.  The nest had to be big enough though.... they don't want to be cramped and like to be able to "fly right out" of they feel threatened.


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## chickens really

Well I have a few.
6 dogs and 3 puppies that are for sale
2 horses
4 goats
1 cat
And a bossy Cockatiel
😊👍❤
One old Turkey but that’s actually just my Husband..


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## Loveshorsesandglee

I have 2 horses, 9 ducks, 12 chickens, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a snake.


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## Chiknoodle

My other is turkeys and a pheasant 😊


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