Bodger
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Turkey eggs?Have any of the poultry bods on here got an idea as to how much I should expect to pay for some turkey hatching eggs this spring? I'll have to send away for some mail order and I was thinking Norfolk Blacks.
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Melli-Jane
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I sell at £8-£10 for a dozen.
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Bodger
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What sort have you got?
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Melli-Jane
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Hi - we have mixed bunch but the stags are norfolk black, black x bronze and a slate, and the girls are various but mostly black x bronze or pure slate. They are just coming into lay again so I am going to split them into 3 groups - blacks, bronze crosses and slates. price is the same no matter what you want, and last year they all grew at the same rate and killed out a similar weights. They weren't particularly heavy but I put that down to the rubbish weather!
I hope to have eggs available in the next month or so once they are all laying well and the stags are treading.
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Bodger
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Its sounds good to me.
I hope to keep half a dozen turkeys this year but unfortunately, any outbuildings we have are either unsuitable or not available. I've been giving some thought as to what I might build to provide suitable accomodation but basically, I'm stumped. 
By the time they've finished growing, they're obviously sizable birds and need a lot of space and height to be able to perch. Anyone got any views on what might fit the bill? ( and the rest of the bird  )
I just need to sort something out and then I can almost see, smell and taste that home reared turkey.
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alison
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Are you just doing them for Christmas, or to keep all year round?
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Bodger
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Christmas Alison but if they're ready, I kill them before and after Christmas.
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alison
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Well, for our christmas ones we just keep them in a stable. They have a few perches in there, that are about 6" off the ground. Fence posts, with a bit of wood nailed onto each end, to stop them moving. Most birds choose not to perch.
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Nicky cigreen
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we have raised 2 or 3 at a time in a stable with a bit of fenced off outside. they perch on straw bales.
if they have access to outdoors, then you have to herd them inside if the weather is bad as they are stupid and just stand out in it.
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Bodger
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Thats the thing, thanks to our daughter, all the stables are full of horses and I've nabbed the rest for my cider enterprise. I need to get my hammer and nails working.
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alison
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I was talking about our perched sleeping area. Ours have a pop hole that accesses the paddock outside. They get herded each morning to go out, until they get the hang of it, then they go in and out on their own.
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Melli-Jane
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we use a stable for the breeders, but last years christmas birds had a big garden shed - pop in some ventilation and cut a turkey size pop hole in the side and use a fence post diagonally across as a perch. our sheds are all off ebay or similar.
I will try and post a picture.
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chez
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I bought some off ebay in September (in a fit of madness) and paid 50p an egg plus the postage.
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