NH Homesteader- turkeys!

People who raised a lot of chicks in the past (and maybe still) used to use hover brooders. Essentially a large shallow box suspended open side down over an area. Light bulbs (not heat lamps) for heat in the sides of the box, the chicks go under and out as they see fit. Raise it up as they grow. Sort of like an EcoGlow heat plate.

Chicks left outside the porch door 7 minutes before I returned at 11:35 from dropping my daughter at her appointment. Put them in the brooding box in the bedroom and introduced (ie put inside) the MHP cave. All quiet on the chick front The pics of inside the cave aren't so great, had to put the camera down and point it in the generally correct direction.



I think the one outside is the Easter Egger. The yellow and black ones are Exchequer Leghorns. Will have to take pictures of the Welsummers and Barnevelders later.

We actually have one of those, the old fashioned kind. We have to see if it still works!

Yay chicks! They deliver? We have to go get ours at the PO.

I re-read your description and that's not actually what we have. Reading skills...

Anyway, here is turklet #1, who looks to be too dark to be a pure Chocolate. That's ok, he/she will be dinner if they make it. Seems to be ok, one more on the way out now also.

I have a wild turkey that has taken up nesting on the fence line of my new land. I also have a house finch nesting on my back porch on top of a ladder. Wildlife is out to get me as I won't bother either one but they are cramping my style. I am using the front door and postponing that section of fence.

Hope the turkeys do well for you.

I have a friend with an old hover brooder, she loves it. She raises about 500 chicks are year.

Congratulations!! Hope the rest do well for ya too....

@Bruce hope yours do well for you, too...Congratulations!

500 chicks a year? That's a lot of chicks!

Little turkey took a long time getting out so it still could not make it. We will see though. I hope it does!

My turkey hen is still sitting. She hatched out some gorgeous little babies last year that my tom promptly killed. I almost put him in the freezer that very day, I was so mad. New tom this year, but we're probably going to move him and the chocolate hen into a different coop just in case. Haven't decided if we should leave her alone with babies or leave our other hen that she's buddies with in there. Will have to build the hoop coop soon to get them moved!

I'm anxious to watch them change and Grow. We are tossing around the idea of getting a pea hen and peacock later in the future. Mom and Dad had a pair for many yrs.

NH homesteader said:

We actually have one of those, the old fashioned kind. We have to see if it still works!

Yay chicks! They deliver? We have to go get ours at the PO.

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They do if a package is shipped USPS Express and it doesn't get in early enough to get on the truck to the POs. In that case they deliver the express mail to your door. I picked up the last 2 sets at the PO.

NH homesteader said:

who looks to be too dark to be a pure Chocolate

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Hey, DARK chocolate is the favorite type in our house

Put her separate to set, and for the first week or so after the poults are hatched, so they bond with her and have a little stability to them. Most wild hens will nest away from others, and will not rejoin a flock of other hens until the poults are a couple of days old. Toms do not normally stay with the hens and poults in the wild, and really should not be allowed with them to prevent that very thing of killing the young. She will not miss the company and once they are up and active and getting some feathers then you could let the hens together.

Thanks! We'll do that!

Had a wild tom here yesterday going after my tom. Chased him off, turkey season starts soon so hopefully someone gets hlm!

There was also a random pig walking down the road yesterday... Weird day.