True. OTOH, the many colors of peafowl are quite hardy in most areas, and they are even more beautiful than the occelated turkeys. A lot cheaper too. I have young turkeys and peas living together (alongside chickens and ducks too). Peafowl are not really any harder to manage than turkeys. They...
Not all hatchers are the same with this. This is a pic of my "coolerbator hatcher". It hatches roughly 100 eggs at a time and the sliding top means I can remove chicks with virtually no reduction in humidity for the remaining ones. I usually get great turkey hatches from this (every now an then...
I have noticed the poults and ducklings eating before the chicks even get started. Maybe I have smarter turkeys than most, but they seem to be teaching the chicks to eat in my brooders.
I highly recommend the Genesis -- but not the cheaper styro ones. The only issue is cleaning it, so line the sides with paper towels (tucked under the edge of the plastic liner) when you set it up to hatch.
I own 2, 1202's, 1 1502, and 2 Dickey's. I don't see much difference really. Buy the one you can get used and play with it until it holds solid temps. If you want to buy new, get a Dickey, they are way better "bang for the buck".
Put 11 turkey eggs in the incubator last weekend. Will be candling Friday to see if they are fertile. They are first year hens, so not expecting a lot from them yet . . .
Not a single egg here yet either. 2 years ago I ran a nightlight in the turkey shed. My peafowl would not go inside without a light, and I thought the turkeys might have a similar issue. That year I was trying to sell poults in mid-January -- big mistake, no one want them then. So last year I...
I know where you live, your daffadils are smarter than to show themselves now.
I lived in Macon, GA for 2 years and I remember them blooming in January. If you blink, winter is over, but the summers drag on interminably.
It is going to be sunny and bright today, I'm going out now to enjoy it . . .
I use a 22% breeder pellet I get from a feed mill that makes it themselves. The current cost is about $20 for a 100lb bag! That is cheaper than 16% layer feed anywhere else. I encourage everyone to look into local feed mills. They, like all small ag businesses, are often struggling on the face...
Right. I interbreed my Mottled Blacks with Royal Palms and get both from the same pen. The toms are RP, the hens both types, so I don't get any marble blacks.
Mottled Blacks get more white as they get older. This is an updated photo of Momma Turkey (on the left) and one of her daughters or granddaughters (I've lost track). Both of these hens will follow me if I call them, and love to eat from my hand.
I have Cuddle's mom (or grandma). Anyway she is about 4 years old now and will come running when I call her (her name is "Momma Turkey" because she is the mother or grandmother of all my current flock). She loves to eat out of my hand and while she doesn't come for a hug, she allows me to pick...