[danathome]

The poult has hatched completely and appears strong and healthy so I will give it back to mom when I lock up the coops for the night.

 

[robin416]

Ahh, at least she'll get a baby to raise.

 

[robin416]

I wish I could like your last post several times.

 

[Poultry Judge]

The poult has hatched completely and appears strong and healthy so I will give it back to mom when I lock up the coops for the night.

That's good news!

 

[danathome]

Baby is 12 days old. The first week Ma Turkey brooded the poult almost full time, never bringing it out of the turkey shed. Then for the next four days she brought the poult out into the poultry yard for short periods then back to the shed. Just the last three days has the hen started to take the poult out in the yard and green grass to free range.

 

[robin416]

Look at how tiny it is. I would never have figured that was a poult had you not described what was going on.

 

[danathome]

Tiny it is. I candled the other hen turkeys eggs today; 15 developing and 3 were duds-a clutch of 18 eggs.

 

[robin416]

LOL You're going to be over run with little poults running all over the place. Really little poults.

 

[danathome]

LOL You're going to be over run with little poults running all over the place. Really little poults.

Hopefully, but likely not for long. These will be a tad bigger. How's the quail brooding going?

 

[robin416]

It's going. You can tell when a broody is up, there's all this strange growling noise going on and everyone clearing out.

 

[danathome]

It's going. You can tell when a broody is up, there's all this strange growling noise going on and everyone clearing out.

Sounds rather like a broody chicken.

 

[robin416]

LOL, yeah. Who knew these tiny little girls could be so mean? The one for certain on the nest lets me give her mealworms and peanut suet when I'm handing it out. She flinches, then realizes what's going on and starts chowing down.

 

[danathome]

The last ones I had got fairly tame. The hen would jump on my hand and eat from my palm. They're endearing and fun to have.

 

[robin416]

That's the term, endearing. They are. About useless for much of anything other than entertainment.

 

[danathome]

I can use all the entertainment I can get and Kimmi is looking forward to making goat cheese.

 

[robin416]

At some point, you're both going to be all tapped out with whatall you've got going on there.

 

[danathome]

It won't be what's going on here that taps us out; while it's work it's fun work we both enjoy.

 

[robin416]

I loved raising my Silkies too. But having so many other responsibilities it finally became too much and I sold out.

 

[danathome]

I loved raising my Silkies too. But having so many other responsibilities it finally became too much and I sold out.

When that happens things will have to be eliminated until everything is at a manageable level and fun again. I hope the day never comes when everything has to go. There are ways to make things easier-for instance, I made a small trough outside that can be filled from in the house (a hose connection to the kitchen sink) for those days it's hard to get around. That provides drinking water to most of the birds on bad days when a pail of water feels like it weighs a ton.

 

[danathome]

A rather happy day. Several days ago I received five Eastern Wild Turkey eggs from PJ in Ohio. Being shipped eggs I wasn't expecting much luck even though PJ had packed them in the foam that has individual egg spots--cool stuff. Candling this morning showed all five eggs developing normally each with a normal air cell. WOW! I am impressed with that foam. It is the second time I have gotten shipped eggs using that material. That hatch was also very good. So, if anyone is getting shipped eggs for hatching I recommend asking how the eggs are packed and requesting the foam that PJ used. Thank you PJ!