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maryf
Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Posts: 119
Location: suffolk
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 Posted: Sat Nov 14, 09 6:44 pm Post subject: |
 
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Not kept any personally, but my great uncle used to keep a flock of about 40/50 each year in his orchard - free range before it was fashionable - overnighted them in a old garage with straw bales and fed them what I think was mixed corn but I remember them eating up all the windfall apples, don't remember them up in the trees though so maybe the wings were clipped. Come Christmas he commandeered the lads who did the beating for the shoot to come and dispatch, gut and pluck. They were sold mostly around the village and I do remember the baker having to cook them for several families who didn't have big enough ovens. (Does this show my age!!) More recently friends had some Black Norfolk hens who were very friendly, especially to the builders next door who shared their pack ups and one chap took to buying meal worms for turkey treats! Not one of the builders wanted one for Christmas - chavs!!!! |
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GSHP
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 657
Location: Devon
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 09 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Not one of the builders wanted one for Christmas - chavs!!!! |
I only have four, for family and friends, but I have been asked several times if I have any to sell when people have heard I have them..maybe next year. |
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Green Rosie
Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 4165
Location: Calvados, France
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 09 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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We are on our 2nd year of keeping turkeys. We but young poults off the market and then keep them apart from the chooks (we didn't last year to start and lost one to blackhead). They spend the night in a barn (shared with some ducks) with bales to roost on and I herd them across to a chicken-free field for the day. They eat a mix of wheat and maize and completely turn their nose up at anything else new believing I am trying to poison them  . They do seem to drink a lot of water.
We slaughtered three on Thurs and plucked them after a 15 second dunk on near boiling water (although we had to dunk one end then the other 'cos they were too big to go in in one go!!). The meat is lovely; moist and tasty. Even I enjoyed it roasted last year when normally I find it dry and tasteless.
We got a fantastic amount of meat off them - legs for roasting, escalops, stir fry, stewing meat, mince, wings and carasses for stock. I reckon for the amount of food you put into them they give you a better return that chickens. Next year I plan to seperate and cost the food for the chickens and turkeys to see if this is the case,
They are very simple birds - they like routine and if you are late putting them to bed they will roost and not move come hell or high water. I'd say they are a lot quieter than your average cockerel - a gentle gobbling sound, almost musical.
I like turkeys  |
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The.Grange
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 949
Location: Derbyshire
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 09 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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we have turkeys our stag is a bit slow on the uptake, the girls are exceptional escape artists and love nothing more than climbing as high as they can by a series of stepping stones and then jumping off the stable roof. They do have clipped wings. They make a lot of noise too.
The only two things we were told when first keeping them were that nettles kill them and they can get chills if left out in the rain.. can't confirm or deny either, they don't go near nettles and they loitor out in the rain even though they have shelter  We have slates, bourbons and norfolk black |
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GSHP
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 657
Location: Devon
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 09 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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Ours don't have the sense to shelter from the rain either. For the past couple of days I have kept them in the stable, I understand they also have a tendency to stay out in the sun and overheat, but ours are long gone before then. |
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Bulgarianlily
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
Posts: 910
Location: South West Mountains of Bulgaria
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 09 6:14 am Post subject: |
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thank you for all the fantastic information! |
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Green Rosie
Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 4165
Location: Calvados, France
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 09 10:06 am Post subject: |
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But are you any closer to making a decision? |
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beangreen
Joined: 21 Aug 2006
Posts: 23
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| Posted: Wed Nov 18, 09 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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this is the 4th year that I have had them. I raised 3 in my greenhouse and let them out in the day to roam with the hens, so far no blackhead.
this year I have Norfolk bronze for the first time and they are MUCH quiter than the "Woosterals" whites that I usually have and a lot smaller!
They really poo! and mine won't touch mixed corn, they only eat turkey grower pellets and then turkey finishing pellets for the last 3 weeks or so.
They are really dumb and you will trip over one before it realises it should move out of your way! |
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Bulgarianlily
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
Posts: 910
Location: South West Mountains of Bulgaria
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| Posted: Wed Nov 18, 09 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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Looks like all the adults ones round here are already booked, maybe I have to get some young ones next year. But I am sold on the idea. |
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