ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[wannacow]

Poults are really fragile. It amazes me the difference between poults and chicks. Sorry you have lost them.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Good news: Cinni's little brown chick was safe and sound in the coop this morning. I wish I knew who he'd taken shelter under.

Bad news: I lost 2 turkey poults this morning...so I'm now down by 3. Not happy about this but as long as losses occur within 48 hours of arrival I'll receive credit for them.

Do you have them a couple of chicks? An old timer told me to hatch a couple of chicks with the turkeys as the turkeys always have a hard time learning to eat and drink. So that is what I did. Seems to work.

 

[elevan]

Good news: Cinni's little brown chick was safe and sound in the coop this morning. I wish I knew who he'd taken shelter under.

Bad news: I lost 2 turkey poults this morning...so I'm now down by 3. Not happy about this but as long as losses occur within 48 hours of arrival I'll receive credit for them.

Do you have them a couple of chicks? An old timer told me to hatch a couple of chicks with the turkeys as the turkeys always have a hard time learning to eat and drink. So that is what I did. Seems to work.

I dipped each one's beak in the water and the food. I then watched to make sure that they all got the hint and were drinking and eating.

 

[jodief100]

What kind of turkeys did you get? I have another order comming in tomorrow for white midgets and "hatchery choice" heritage breeds.

Sorry you lost 3. I lost one of my Narrgensetts this weekend and at 9 bucks a poult that hurts.

I am going to try that trick with the chicks- thanks 3Boys. I am leavign right now to pick up chicks so I will have some to go with the poults tomorrow.

Don't kick yourself Em- your animals have a wonderful home. Things just happen sometimes. I have lost a lot of banties this week and it sucks but I just learn from it and try something new next time.

 

[daisychick]

I have heard that also about raising a few chicks with the poults. I guess turkey chicks need to be shown over and over where the food and water is and how to eat and drink???

 

[elevan]

These are "surplus" broad breasted meaning that they are a mix of bronze and / or white. By buying them this way they were only like $4.50 (plus shipping) each.

I want to keep a couple of hens and then cross them with a Bourbon Red tom next year...that's my goal anyway.

I may go out and pick up a few of chicks to put with them :/

 

[Roll farms]

My fav. thing to raise turkeys with are guinea keets, but when I don't have keets, I'll use chicks. Works much better. Raising poults is hard...they *look* for ways to die.

Good luck w/ the rest.

 

[jodief100]

These are "surplus" broad breasted meaning that they are a mix of bronze and / or white. By buying them this way they were only like $4.50 (plus shipping) each.

I want to keep a couple of hens and then cross them with a Bourbon Red tom next year...that's my goal anyway.

I may go out and pick up a few of chicks to put with them :/

I thought the broad breasted birds couldn't reproduce naturally? I have been thinking about getting the "surplus broad breasted". What did you get of each?

 

[elevan]

Cinni decided to stay on the ground in the coop tonight in a corner and has all three chicks tucked under her.

I highly suspect that the brown chick spent last night under Big Red (our nanny hen). We call her the nanny hen because if she sees a nest of eggs she simply must sit on them...she's not brood but she must watch over those eggs. It's funny because when I let them out of the coop she runs to the barn where Skeeter is setting a nest. Big Red jumps in and Skeeter jumps out and does her daily business. When Skeeter returns Big Red jumps out. Big Red is the ONLY chicken allowed near Skeeter's nest.

Dove still only has one chick. It is sooo super cute. I'd try to get you a picture but she nearly broke my pinkie this afternoon when I snatched the chick to have a look.

Frizz's eggs are due to hatch tonight / tomorrow.

Helga, our Salmon Faverolle hen has gone broody and I gave her 12 guinea eggs tonight. She is such a sweetheart, I'm excited to see how she mothers. SmallFarmGirl - she reminds me a lot of the hen whose story you posted a link to in your journal (Derp).

I guess if you want a bunch of hens to go broody all you need to do is build an incubator

These are "surplus" broad breasted meaning that they are a mix of bronze and / or white. By buying them this way they were only like $4.50 (plus shipping) each.

I want to keep a couple of hens and then cross them with a Bourbon Red tom next year...that's my goal anyway.

I may go out and pick up a few of chicks to put with them :/

I thought the broad breasted birds couldn't reproduce naturally? I have been thinking about getting the "surplus broad breasted". What did you get of each?

The problem with them is that the male cannot mount the female because of his "broad" breast. The females are quite capable of reproducing naturally if a tom is able to mount them. There are plenty of instances of them reproducing with a "non broad breasted" tom.

I got about 50 / 50 Bronze / White. My guess is that I got mostly males based on the size of their snood lump already at such a young age.

The other 12 are doing very well tonight.

 

[wannacow]

I guess if you want a bunch of hens to go broody all you need to do is build an incubator

Guess I'll be building an incubator... None of mine have gone broody and I'm afraid my turks will stop laying pretty soon.