Showing posts with label turkeys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label turkeys. Show all posts
March 5, 2025
May 17, 2024
Chaos in the Hen House
What is it with chickens? There can be any number of perfectly good empty nest
boxes available, but they want the one that another bird is already in!
And they are quite persistent about it. They will push on in and sit on the
current occupants head, even pecking her if necessary, to get her to move. If
the invading hen happens to be one of Rooster Schooster's favorites, he joins in
with all manner of squawking!
Of course, when Schooster sets up a fuss, we have to go check. Even when we're
pretty sure it's just over nest box squabbling, it could also be a snake or
rat, both of which are egg and chick stealers. One time, we had a skunk
brazenly walk into the coop in broad daylight and kill chicks! So, reasonable
doubt requires making sure everything is okay.
Egg laying is bird business, which means that none of them is interested in
(or compliant with) the humans' opinions and solutions to the problem. Our
efforts to sort things out are completely ignored, and the battle for the
nest boxes continues with the sense of business as usual. For the most part
it actually isn't a problem. It becomes a problem, however, when the
occupying hen/duck/turkey is broody and wants to hatch some eggs.
Broodies can be pretty persistent, but when they are successfully routed out
of their nest by a rude chicken, they move and then stay there. This results
in the eggs being abandoned which means none of them hatches. Our solution has
become to keep an eye out and then move the eggs to the broodie's new
next.
This solution points to another problem however. That is, now there are more
eggs so that they are at different stages of development and often become too
numerous for the broody to properly cover and incubate.
I'm guessing that at about this point, many of you are wondering why we don't
use an incubator and skip the fiasco in the hen house. There are several
reasons for this, which are logical to us, although they may not make sense to
others.
- We like having a mixed age flock because it helps keep egg production at a consistent level. Old hens eventually lay less, while younger hens lay the most. With a mixed age flock we can keep six hens and have a surplus of eggs to share year after year.
- Consequently, we don't need a specific number of new chicks every year. We don't do the replacement flock thing, so just a trickle of new chicks each year works well for us.
- It's infinitely easier to let the birds hatch and rear their own young! This is nature's way, after all, and it relieves us of the accompanying chores of the job. Plus, we firmly believe that babies deserve to have their own mother.
So, speaking of baby poultry and mothers, here is the first hatch of the
year:
Yup, our turkey hen hatched out two duck eggs and they are all perfectly
content with the arrangement. The added bonus for the ducklings is that the
chickens—which tend to be ruthlessly mean toward newcomers—absolutely leave
Jenny's babies alone. They are all quite intimidated by her, so nobody messes
with her young 'uns!
Sadly, we lost one duckling when it drowned in the big water dish. But the other is doing just fine.
Currently we have two broody ducks and a broody hen in the nest boxes. We're waiting to see what's next.
Chaos in the Hen House © May 2024
September 12, 2023
Rethinking Turkeys
Earlier this month, Dan's knee injury brought all of his projects to a halt. Of course, that initially led to frustration and eventually a discussion. We've periodically taken time to evaluate our original goals and analyze our progress. From the beginning, we wanted to work toward a simplified maintenance lifestyle. By that I mean we wanted to get our infrastructure built before our "retirement" years. We knew that as we got older, we wouldn't want to be tackling large building projects or taking on energy intensive ventures. So we've worked to get to a comfortable status quo.
I think the greenhouse is probably the last of those big things. Not that we don't have tons of ideas. The ideas never stop! But eventually, we knew we'd have to reach a point where we could say, we can be content with what we've got. Things like injury or illness have a way of really bringing that point home. As badly as Dan felt that I had to do all the chores, it was manageable. I was exceedingly glad when he was out and around again, but everything got done and no one was worse for the wear.
Which brings me to the turkeys. Of themselves, they are an excellent addition to the homestead. They are easy to care for and have fantastic entertainment value. And of course there are the eggs and meat, of which we don't get a lot, but it's the reason we got them.
However. It's impossible to evaluate any one element on the homestead as an entity unto itself. That's part of the equation, but in fact, each element fits into the homestead system. So the question is, how does it impact everything else? In the case of the turkeys, not as we hoped.
Part of the problem is that every species of bird we've brought here wants to be in the chicken yard and the chicken coop. First the Muscovys, then the turkeys, each was given their very own area and accommodations, but they all managed to eventually make their way into the chicken yard and invade the coop (much to the indignation of the chickens). Now, if everybody could just be one big happy family, that would be great! But (for us, at least) it hasn't worked that way and we have constant squabbling going on over the coop, over the roosts, over the nest boxes, over the feeders, over the waterers, etc., etc.
The addition of Tom really changed our poultry dynamic. Poults came along, of course, but also a new challenge to chicken territory. Three times, Tom has gotten into fights with our two roosters (which fortunately Dan was able to break up). So, Tom is not allowed into the chicken yard.
Then Jenny B (mother of our two poults) decided to take a stand. She made her way into the chicken yard and coop once her poults were big enough to fly. Since then, she's been dominating the chickens and frequently challenging Schooster, the chicken yard rooster. She's taken over the top roosting bar in the coop, so that none of the other chickens will use the roost.
Most recently, we found our friendliest hen dead. Her head and eyes were pecked in, so we suspect Tom killed her. The sad part is that she lived in the chicken tractor with our second rooster because all the other hens were so mean to her. Dan let her out to enjoy a little freedom that day and then we find her dead. And with that we had to ask, are the turkeys worth it?
I think the tendency is to evaluate that from an economic point of view, i.e. comparing feed costs to egg and meat production. That's definitely part of it, but there are other considerations as well. That can include time and maintenance, but especially, how well anything fits into our homestead system. Some critters (or other things) fit in better than others.
We haven't reached a decision about all of this yet, but I suspect that the conclusion we'll come to is that the turkeys would be better off some place else.
August 1, 2023
Homestead Summer in Photographs
I can't believe it's August! Seems like Juneteenth was only the other day.
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| Detail from my Christmas gift from my daughter-in-law |
Here's our summer so far in photographs.
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| Summer squash blossom with pollinators |
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| Fresh goat milk mozzarella |
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| Hopniss vines on the hoop house |
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| Rose of Sharon |
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| Kudzu vines to dry for goat hay |
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| Ricotta cheese from the mozarella whey |
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| Cover crop for soil biomass |
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| Mosul in his anti-mating apron (so he could stay with the girls longer) |
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| more dill pickles |
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| the last of this summer's blueberries |
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| sweet potato flower |
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| Jenny B and her 3-month-old poults |
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| Sewing room progress: homes for weaving yarns and books |
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| Greenhouse progress: trim for the first door |
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| Newest additions: second batch of late July ducklings (five, total) |
How's everyone else's summer coming along?
Homestead Summer in Photographs © Aug 2023
June 13, 2023
More Drama in the Chicken Coop
First, some background: Several weeks ago, I told you about our Muscovy and Jersey Buff turkey hen squabbling over the eggs. Since neither one was going to budge, they finally "settled" the dispute by sharing the nest. Not long after that, one of our Speckled Sussex hens pushed her way onto the nest and refused to move. So the three of them have been continually jockeying for position. What makes matters worse is that the other hens insist on trying to lay there too, so we have an over-crowded jumble of eggs on that communal nest with no way of knowing what's going on.
Hatching begins: We finally spotted one chick
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| Readily adopted by Mama Hen for mothering |
and one duckling.
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| 1st duckling to hatch; followed Mom Muscovy out into the chicken yard, but they didn't stay long. |
Mostly, everyone was sitting tight on the nest, so there's no way to know for sure what's happening. This isn't unusual, as new babies take several days recovering from hatching before regular ventures out into the world.
Now, for the drama: Dan was in his workshop the other day, when he heard a ferocious racket in the chicken coop. He assumed it was Mama Chicken and Mom Muscovy fighting over the nest again, but he went to check it out anyway. When he got there, he saw a snake tail sticking out from the nest! He grabbed it and threw it against the wall, which stunned it. That's when he noticed the back end of a duckling sticking out of it's mouth. Dan grabbed a hoe, pinned the snake's head down, and managed to pull out a live duckling!
The snake was promptly dispatched and we brought the duckling inside to make sure it was alright. I put it on a heating pad and we observed it for several hours, until it was alert and chirping. Then it was put back under the mamas in the nest. Talk about a close call!
The next day it was fine, and I was able to get some pictures.
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| This is why we've had a problem. Instead of setting in the nest boxes, they all want to set under the nest boxes. |
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| It's hard to know how many are actually under there. |
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| Duckling on the left is our snake survivor (still with dried snake siliva on it's head.) Behind it is the baby chick. Two ducklings on the right. |
Final count is four ducklings and one chick. Three of the ducklings are doing well, but the little guy who almost got eaten by a snake is lagging. Honestly, he looked a bit premature after his rescue, and we surmise that the snake went after the egg. Even though it broke, he was close enough to hatching that he can breath air, but he isn't getting around as well as the others. It may be a leg injury, hard to tell.
Our two turkey poults are doing well. They are now two weeks old.
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| They blend in well to their background! |
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| They're beginning to look less like baby chicks. |
The only broody mama with no babies is Jenny J. In looking over the remaining eggs in the nest, they all appear to be duck eggs. No turkey eggs. I find it curious that she readily adopted eggs that were already there without laying her own. Mama Hen took over the chick and Mom Muscovy took over the ducklings, so it's sad that Jenny J has no one to mother.
I'd like to say all's well that ends well, but there are still many perils about for baby poultry. We just have to do our best to protect them and hope for the best. No more adventures would be fine with me.
More Drama in the Chicken Coop © June 2023
June 5, 2023
Hatch Announcement: Poults!
Last month I showed you our Spanish Black turkey hen hiding in the hedgerow and setting eggs. (That post here.) The incubation for turkeys is 28 days, so I had the end of May circled on my calendar. Sure enough, right about that time she got off the nest and Dan spotted three poults. The problem was that being out there meant that those babies could be easy pickings for a cat, skunk, or raccoon. We decided to put her and the poults in our big dog carrier and move her someplace safer - the turkey yard.
She also had about 8 unhatched eggs, which we put in the carrier along with the poults. These three were the only ones that hatched.
From what Dan and I have read, turkey poults are the most difficult of all poultry to raise. They have a lower survival rate that the other species. Jenny B is a good mother, but even so, one of them had problems. We're not sure what, but it seemed to pass out for awhile, recover and run around, and then pass out again. We separated it, keeping it where she could see and smell it, but sadly, it didn't make it.
So, we have two and are hoping for the best. It's always hard to lose animals.
In the hen house, we have our other turkey hen, one of our Muscovies, and a chicken all hunkered down tight on nests. I told you about the egg fiasco, and it seems that that Jenny J won the battle over the eggs. When Dan checked, Mom Muscovy was sitting on an empty nest. So he gave her five duck eggs, which she twittered over and tucked into her nest. The question is whether she's got another 32 days of broody left in her. Of Jenny J's, we're thinking something should have hatched by now, but she's about a week behind Jenny B, so she may yet get some poults. Or ducklings. Or chicks. We'll have to wait and see.
Hatch Announcement: Poults! © June 2023
May 11, 2023
Homestead Turkey on the Menu
The addition of heritage breed turkeys on the homestead has given us a new source of eggs and meat. So many people told me how they prefer turkey to chicken eggs, that I was quite curious about them.
We first tried them as scrambled eggs. The biggest difference was in how creamy scrambled turkey eggs are. Delicious. I thought they would be excellent for French toast.
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| I make cinnamon bread in my bread maker just for French toast. It's 50/50 homegrown whole wheat to white flour, with 2 tsp. cinnamon. |
We weren't disappointed!
Of our three female turkeys, we planned to keep two and so Dan dispatched one. I asked him if he wanted me to freeze it for later or roast it now. He wanted to try it now.
Our heritage breed chickens don't produce much breast meat, so we were pleasantly surprised at how much we got from our 10-month-old turkey hen. Though it wasn't Thanksgiving, I couldn't resist making a traditional Thanksgiving style meal!
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| Lots to be thankful for here: homegrown turkey and sweet potatoes, with cornbread stuffing made from homegrown corn and sage. |
It was tender and flavorful. Dressed weight was ten pounds. That's a generous amount for a company meal, and lots of meals for just the two of us.
Our two remaining hens both appear to be broody. Jenny B disappeared in the bushes a couple of weeks ago and Dan discovered that she had three eggs in a nest. We didn't like that she was brooding outside the chicken yard, but birds have minds of their own and the humans' opinion doesn't count. Unfortunately, something got them, leaving only scattered egg shells. She recently disappeared again, and I found her in the pasture hedgerow. We'll count eggs when she's on her daily visit to the poultry yard.
Jenny J also started setting, but she chose the chicken coop. We feel like she's safer there, but there are still problems. For one, the chickens won't leave her alone. They continually peck her on the head, trying to make her to get up so they can lay their eggs in her nest. Why they want to lay their eggs in somebody else's nest is beyond me, but that's chickens for you.
The other problem is that one of our Muscovys has gone broody too. That in itself isn't a problem, but when Jenny J gets off the nest to get food and water, Mom Muscovy steals her eggs! Seriously! The two nesting spots are near one another, and Mom rolls some of Jenny J's eggs over to her nest. Dan puts them back, but she isn't too happy about that.
UPDATE: This morning, Mom Muscovy was out getting feed and water, so Dan went to check the eggs in her nest. Turns out Jenny J's nest was empty of eggs, so she had moved over to Mom's nest! Mom came in and was in a dither over that! For us humans, it was a "what did you think was gonna happen?" moment, but birds don't think like humans. 😂 Dan reckons there are at least five duck eggs in that nest, plus Jenny's three.
Mixed nests could create another problem because of the variance of incubation days. Muscovy incubation is 32 days, turkeys is 28 days, and chickens is 21. The concern is that the mama will leave the nest with the early hatchlings and abandon the eggs that need more time. We did have a Buff Orpington chicken raise some ducklings once, but I think it's better if each species raises their own babies, if there's a mother willing to do it. Keeping it all sorted out, however, is an ongoing chore.
Never a dull moment.
Homestead Turkey on the Menu © May 2023
April 5, 2023
First Turkey Egg
In Around the Homestead post, I mentioned that our turkeys hadn't started laying yet. Today, only a couple of days later, I'm excited to announce. . .
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| Our very first turkey egg. |
Our turkey hens are ten months old, so it's about time!
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| From the left: duck egg, chicken egg, and turkey egg. |
The next day, we got our second. We have three turkey hens, so I'm assuming they'll all be laying soon. After we get a few more, we'll give them a try.
That's it for today. Such a small thing to be news I want to share. As I give this draft a last minute check as a preview, I stop at the word I chose to describe this event - exciting. I wonder how many people would see this word as an actual description? Or see it as simply filler for the sentence. I wonder, in a world now filled with non-stop controversial events, how many people see something as ordinary as a bird laying a first egg as exciting? Maybe it would be exciting if it was the world's first cloned egg. Certainly, there are few like myself, who aren't obsessed with a fascination for technology and its hoped for potential to change the evolution of our planet. I wonder, why that doesn't interest me? Why is my way of listening to the news more interesting to me than theirs? Then I shrug and decide I don't mind being left behind.
Turkeys are seasonal layers and this is the season for nesting. So, of course we're wondering if any of our hens will go broody. Time will tell.
March 8, 2023
Big Changes For Our Turkeys
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| Our Jersey Buff |
Awhile back, I lamented that we thought our three young turkeys were probably all male. This is our first time with turkeys, so we have no past experience to guide us, plus, there were no distinguishing characteristics amongst our turkeys to compare physical traits and behavior. On top of that, turkeys are slower to mature than chickens, so we had a lot of uncertainty.
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| Our two Spanish Blacks |
Guidance around the internet is vague to not helpful, I suppose because everyone wants to leave room for the exceptions to the rule. Most information is geared toward poults anyway, and after getting the wrong kind of websites in a search for "sexing young adult turkeys," I decided to turn to Permies to ask for help there. The Permies forums are my go-to place to talk to knowledgeable and experienced people with goals similar to Dan's and mine.
The consensus amongst turkey wranglers there was that we have three hens! Dan took to Craigslist to see if he could find them a Tom, and the next day brought home this guy. . .
He's a Bourbon Red, and was the best choice of the available options. Dan had to drive a ways to fetch him, but he was priced at $60, whereas the available nearby toms were priced between $150 and $300.
We put him in the turkey yard, so that everyone could become acquainted by sight and smell through the fence. Our ladies were immediately interested.
Becoming acquainted includes us too. Adult animals, especially males, require a lot of respect when handling them. The adage to never turn your back on them is true, even when they know you. YouTube is filled with videos of humans being incredibly stupid with animals: poking, teasing, taunting, daring one another to go in with them, and generally assuming animals are like the goofy characters in cartoons. Everybody laughs when they get a reaction, but that only teaches critters that humans are not trustworthy. And once a bad experience imprints on an animal. it is near impossible to train out of them.
So that's the newest addition to the homestead. We haven't seen turkey eggs yet, but our hens are finally coming into mature, and turkey breeding season is just arriving.
Big Changes For Our Turkeys © March 2023
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