NH Homesteader- turkeys!

[Mike CHS]

He is a cutey!!! Congratulations!

 

[Bruce]

My brother will be 31 this year.

Ah, I was close. I thought I remembered you were older and the pair of you were 32 & 34. Only off by 2 years!

My dad first felt old when my older sister hit 50. Last night I asked him if he felt old NOW as my younger sister will turn 60 in June.

 

[NH homesteader]

Well I found my first gray hair last week so I'm kinda feeling old NOW! Lol

Hey chicken people- anyone who has NH's, do they lay heavy and burn out young like a lot of the production breeds? Mine were supposedly only like a year and a half old, and I got them for free so I'm not complaining, but they haven't laid one darn egg I don't think. They're with the other chickens now but I haven't gotten any large eggs that appear to be from them. They free range and eat what the others eat, and I'm getting 5-8 eggs a day from 8 hens... (the 8 is not including the NH's)

 

[NH homesteader]

Oh I almost forgot. I HAVE A BROODY TURKEY!!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Congrats on the broody turkey! Yay! I know nothing about NH's.....sorry.

 

[farmerjan]

No, my NH's don't "lay out" in a year or two but mine are purebred show birds. I think the commercial strains do more along the lines of the sex-links and lay good for a year or two. You might also have an egg eater....or they might be stashing a nest somewhere if they are free ranging....Check their vents...if they are more than 2 fingers wide then they are laying. Not like a horse or cow or sheep where you can look at their mouth and get an idea of their age. I think that you may find they need to go in the soup pot and will be a "costly" freebie.

 

[NH homesteader]

They don't eat very much so they haven't been very costly. Even if they go in the pot it's not a big deal to me. Better than spending money to raise them from chicks and ending up disappointed.

They would definitely be hatchery birds, they came from an older couple that definitely would have ordered from the feed store or something, not go to a breeder. They're dumb too. Not at all like my Dominiques!

 

[CntryBoy777]

That's a nice looking little buckling, I bet he would look really good in the wheelbarrow....
Mine love to play in ours every chance they get.

 

[NH homesteader]

I should get a picture of my random hen for you all, maybe someone will know what she is. Someone had my husband process a bunch of "old" hens, and I loved her and tried to buy her from them. They gave her to me. She's still a decent layer! I have 3 hens now that I hatched last year from her and my Dominique roo, they're great little layers. She looks like a Partridge Wyandotte, but I'm not sure. I'll get pics tomorrow. She's a cool bird, she gets to be a lifer with my older Dom hen.

 

[lcertuche]

I just got 5 New Hampshire chicks that were suppose to be pullets. Now they are a month old, I'm pretty sure that at least 4 are cockerels. I can say that generally heritage birds lay much later but they also lay longer.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/products/new-hampshire-red