Goat Whisperer's & SBC's kidding thread: kidding storm

[babsbag]

I want your turkeys. @Southern by choice what do you know about histomoniasis (blackhead).

I read that other day that heritage breeds can take 16-20 months to get to slaughter size...what say you?

 

[Southern by choice]

Blackhead isn't common I don't think. I don't know any real info about it.

We only have ever raised heritage breeds and no way... they are grown well before that.

 

[babsbag]

I just keep reading that I can't have my chickens and turkeys together as the chickens will carry blackhead and the turkeys will die. I can't find any information regarding the likely hood of the chickens actually carrying blackhead. It seems that there are some drugs that can be used as a preventative but guess what...VFD.

 

[Southern by choice]

@babsbag the biggest concern is actually Myco's. That is why we have turkeys! If we have MG in our chickens our turkeys will show up with it in a minute! LOL It is a great way to see if you have any carrier chickens.

We have never had an issue with raising our turkeys with our chickens. However none of our turkeys will coop. They prefer outside no shelter. They sleep on the roof of buildings and in the trees. Ice, rain, snow... doesn't matter then will not go in for shelter. Some people's turkeys will but most turkey people I know, theirs don't.
They do best with good forage. The poults can be difficult to raise. Most people lose poults so easy they give up. Poults have this amazing ability to get themselves killed. More sensitive then chicks.
If you get some order extra.

 

[babsbag]

I figured I would buy 6 and hope for 1. Hopefully it will go into the coop at night or it probably won't be long for this world. I don't worm my chickens and I read that blackhead is passed through worms. I suppose I should worm them but I never wanted to mess with the egg withdrawal times. *SIGH*

 

[Latestarter]

There's some good info on blackhead over on BYC. I don't recall the thread(s), but @casportpony should know something about it... She's one of the "disease" go-to's over there. Many folks over there keep turkeys at the same time as chickens with no issues. and speaking of turkeys, I just took a 12 pounder out of the freezer today to cook over/for the coming weekend

 

[babsbag]

I have been doing some reading and I guess that keeping my flock wormed is the first step in prevention. I don't have to worm my goats but I have to worm my chickens...go figure. I wonder if fecals are done the same way for chickens as they are for goats? There used to be drugs to prevent Blackhead but FDA took them off the market years ago. Of course I can still get it for fish or pigeons but I would prefer to find another way.

I don't have another field for them or another shelter, this has to be relatively "easy" or I will just buy a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

 

[NH homesteader]

16-20 months? More like 6-8. I don't keep mine with my chickens but not because of blackhead. I just can't have them getting free, or fighting with my roo! I had issues hatching turkeys but haven't lost them as poults. Except the ones my Tom killed

Good luck with the mean Tom.

 

[NH homesteader]

I'm going to continue to derail this kidding thread for a moment...

@Southern by choice have you had Chocolate turkeys? I am trying to find DH a heritage Tom and someone near me is getting rid of their flock but I don't know anything about that breed. Price is good though so figured I'd ask if you had any opinion on them!

 

[OneFineAcre]

The only thing that I can add about turkeys is that a number of Maurine's farmer's market contacts raise them and some people we know through the dairy goat club.
They sell for big $$