lynnie

Mary, thanks for all the farmy info. I like to know about stuff like that.
Do they just fall over dead from drowning? It must be a sight to see.
I thought chickens did that. That's what you get from a non country girl.

klaws

Tomorrow is the last day to sign up. Please pass the word. We have about 15 so far including me. I will be passing out names first thing Wed. morning.

TOOMANYUFO'S

I kept looking to see if anyone was posting and couldn't figure out why you all were so quiet. I later thought about everyone being on the Dec thread. Well I missed everyone for a couple of days, but I found ya! I've been on line christmas shopping and getting a few items for the house. I know what I am making. It is suppose to be an ornament, but I think I can make it into a pincushion and a matching nc. I don't know about anyone else, but I have had my fill of turkey.

JuneBillie

Lynnie my mom use to say that the chickens were dumb, but maybe it's a blessing considering what happens to them. she said that in the chicken house if they spot a earring they will go right to it, and gobble it up.

Lynnie you are a bit more country than before since you have lots of country friends now.

Patchesnposies

Turkey's can be sweet and even pet like. But, they are STUPID! We decided we were going to raise a breed of turkey that were more like wild turkey's, an old "undomesticated" breed. Once they outgrew the brooder and were feathered out we put them into a large chain link run with a beautiful coop. Those kooky birds found every possible way that they could kill themselves imaginable.

The very last one, that we , in fact, had grown very fond of......flew headlong into the chain link fence and we found it hanging by its head in the morning.

Either we or the birds were too stupid to successfully raise them. I like to believe it was the birds....but it could be that we were the stupid ones. lol In our own defense we have raise hundreds of other fowl and at one point had 8 incubators in the house hatching out eggs. Our kids raised and sold chicks, pullets and eggs at the time.....they've outgrown the farm stuff (Our little place was named Fowl Weather Farm) and are on to other more exciting adventures. I miss those days!

lawsonmugs

I never personally seen one drown only heard about it. I know they are not very bright. Mine were kept in a chicken house.(big enough for me to walk around in. also had a pen attached about 15 ft x 15 ft.) anyway one of the turkeys got out so I picked it up and held it over the pen fence (about 6 ft. high) and let it fly to the ground like I did the chickens. It just fell. Didn't flap its wings at all and it died.Mine where white turkeys like you get in the store for thanksgiving. I've had wild turkey.(I'm not talking about the liquor lol).It is very moist and is like dark meat on a store bought one. Very tasty.

nhnative

I had seen on tv this wealthy woman got a farm and started raising stuff. Animals, vegetables and she had turkeys. So the interviewer asked her how much she was charging for her turkeys. When she said $160 I thought no wonder she is rich and who would buy one. We have a lot of wild turkeys but I haven't seen many lately. They always travel in packs.

SewExtremeSeams

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!

lawsonmugs

Linda, My son's father-in-law raises Dexters. very cute.Like a big dog. His are like mine,as far as named and petted from birth,so they are gentle. I've always had chickens for the eggs,Cyotes got my last few a couple months ago.I miss seeing them walking around free in the day. We closed them up at night. My husband missed one night and they were killed. Makes me mad they only took off with one after killing all of them (5)

lynnie

Wow, everyone, thanks for all the infor. I love learning new things. Tell me more. so they will run into things, like chain link and killed themselves. or when dropped, they don't know to flap their wings. kinda stupid . Very interesting really. love reading it all, so if you want to tell me more, i'll gladly read it. On the other side of the golf course, I heard there's a bunch of wild turkeys, (the bird, not the drink, but then again it is the golf course!) Do the wild ones fly??? How did they get there. do you think one or two of the farmers gotout and flew over here, about 1/2 mile. or maybe they walked over? I don't know. Can those big birds get off the ground. So the ones in the stores are only about 10months/14 lbs? We don't have wild life, like wolves around here. pit bulls yesh, but they are mostly on chains.
Mary, are you getting new chickens? what in the world do those turkeys eat to gain so much weight in only a few months.