Originally Posted by
lynnie
I'm really intrigued by this turkey thing. So they hatch around March, and then you get them as babies. Linda, is that right. Interesting they are like pets and follow you around. they put on that much weight in about 9 months to be ready for the table??? That'a a fast growing bird., but I heard birds grow fast anyway. So am I right in saying that they pretty much hatch all year long, there isn't a season, and then they all go to slaughter in October/November.
this is so interesting, as I know no one who has a farm and don't know about these things, and am courious about it.
Like Mary with her cute little bulls. Last time it was white, this time is black. But do cows have a season like kittens and puppies have a heat season? Living not on a farm, I need to know these things.
thanks
Lynnie, turkeys lay eggs all year round. And turkey eggs are great for baking too. Most hatcheries hatch out lots of turkeys in early spring so they are available for purchasing. We have gotten our turkey chicks from our local feed store around March. Then, they are big enough by Thanksgiving. We once had a turkey who weighed 35 pounds. It had to be cut in half to be cooked. You know, chickens that you buy in the store are only about 10 weeks old.
When we raised miniature Irish Dexter cattle, I learned a great deal than I ever knew. Cows come into heat. If a farmer wants to regulate when calves are born then he/she only lets the bulls in the pasture when they see the girls mount one another. A cow's heat cycle is about every 3 weeks. Gestation is about 9 months. About 2 years ago we sold our small herd. We miss them but not the extra work!