Devonviolet Acres

[Bruce]

BTW - Ideal Poultry still has the best health history of any hatchery.

Unfortunately they also have the worst web site. Not even any photos of their birds. It was better when I got my first flock in 2012.

I do know someone that got their turkeys too early. By Thanksgiving the darn things were something like 40 pounds.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

I love the Bourbon Reds also DV!

 

[Mini Horses]

What I REALLY need is to have started this whole adventure 20 years ago...

I did here..but it is my third farm So, I'm closer to "done" and that doesn't mean quitting. But some days are a challenge.

I'm sorry about Edith. I had always thought she was a pretty bird and she was loved! Turkeys can be a challenge. I have done a couple in many years past (farm #1, LOL) but for now I will buy the one or two a year that I cook. Generally, just the breast anyway. Excess roos are enough to keep me in poultry from my broodies. Hey, gotta do something with them. Besides, you can't do "everything". Becomes too much.

 

[farmerjan]

I haven't ordered from Ideal in 2 years, but they were great on replacing a whole box of chicks that came in dead. Someone had left them in a hot USPS truck or something. And when I got turkeys, several poults died about a week later, and they replaced them promptly. I do recommend them, and since I don't really need the pictures it's okay but a beginner would do better with more pictures I agree.
Bourbon reds will be a bit more "meaty" in my opinion, than Narragansetts. And Narragansetts are a "grey and white" color pattern of the bronze. Not exactly, but a close description for someone who does not know alot about them. If you are getting them strictly to eat, and they offer the broadbreasted kind, get them. They will grow faster, get alot more meat not only on the breast, and tend to be more tender. The males cannot naturally breed but the females can accept a standard male if he can tread her. I had a couple of "commercial white broadbreasted hens and used a standard male Royal palm on them and raised some poults up that were more broadbreasted than not. The hens did not set or raise the poults.
If the Beltsville small whites are available, they would be my choice for a homestead turkey for a smaller family. That is what they are bred for. You can slow down the growth of a turkey simply by restricting the feed and allowing them to range after they get feathered in. It will also help to strengthen their legs if they don't get too heavy in their early ages.
Here are the weights that are considered ideal for show of the Standard breeds.
Bronze; toms 36lbs; hens 20lbs.
White Hollands; same as Bronze.
Narragansett: toms 33 lbs; hens 18 lbs.
Blacks; Slate; Bourbon Reds; same as Narragansett Beltsville small white ; toms 21 lbs; hens 12 lbs.
Royal Palms; toms 22 lbs; hens 12 lbs.

Realize these are ideal show weights for MATURE year old birds. 6 months birds will be about 1/3 smaller/lighter. And they will obviously be much more tender, at 6 months.
I know from experience that both the Bourbon Reds and the Royal Palms will set and hatch their own and the Royal Palms are good mothers as far as "taking care" of their poults. The bourbon reds were on a farm I used to farm set for and he would not do any intervention to insure the poults getting some size, like penning them up, so they often did not raise any to adulthood. He thought that "mother nature" would take care of them. Well, the predators in mother nature did take care of them....making a meal of them.

 

[Southern by choice]

Yes, their website stinks but good birds, great customer service and healthy.

I did not care for our Narragansetts. Not nearly as nice as our blacks or chocolates. BTW if you breed blk/choc you can sex by color
Our hens were much larger than 12 lbs, closer to 16-18 range our males around 26lbs
Our birds were never penned though and had great forage as well as feed available. WE are heavily wooded here so they have an insect smorgasbord

The only thing about poults is they do find dumb way to get themselves killed.

The turkey wanted babies so bad that she took up being the nanny to the chicken's chick. That chick loved to ride on her back. Cutest thing ever.

One of our Chocolates- they fade with the sun and once they molt are deep choc again.

The sex linked poults

Just because I came across this and liked it

Boy do I miss our poultry farm. I sure did love it. Thanks @Devonviolet this made me smile, brought back some lovely memories.

 

[Devonviolet]

Thanks @Devonviolet this made me smile, brought back some lovely memories.

You're welcome! . Thanks for taking me for a walk down your memory lane. That was so cool!

I love the pic of the turkey carrying the chick on her back.

Our hens were much larger than 12 lbs, closer to 16-18 range our males around 26lbs
Our birds were never

How old were they when you butchered them? I'm thinking i want to end up with birds that dress out at about 15-16 pounds. Which brings up the question . . . when you say your hens were 16-18 pounds, is that live weight or dressed weight?

 

[Devonviolet]

The other day, when @ Latestarter was here, we showed him where we are currently storing our 2-1/2 round bales on the trailer (with a tarp on it), until we can set up a covered hoop structure, with a pallet, to keep the hay off the ground. Anyway, when he saw our tarp over the hay, he told us how his hay molded after he put a tarp on it. We hadn’t even thought of that. So, the next day, DH took the tarp off, and we did find a small amout of mold on one of the bales.

The weather report calls for 30% chance of rain tomorrow, and 80% chance of rain on Tues. right now, we just don’t have time to buy. Patio blocks, to put the pallets on (so they don’t sink into the ground). So, we went out to put the tarp back on, to protect the hay from the rain. This time, we took two cattle panels and hooped them on both ends of the trailer.

While we were working, we could hear thunder in the distance. Eventually, it got darker and started sprinkling. But, we continued working. Here is the finished product

Now air can get around the hay and no more mold. In November, after farmer’s market is finished, we will build the hoop cover.

After we finished covering the hay, I went to take some photos of the chicks, in the run behind the chicken coop.

The Lavender Guineas are looking gorgeous

As are the Cochins

Here is a shot of the chicks in the run

As I was standing in the 4’ wide separation from the pasture, Faith and Hope came over to visit me, as they usually do. Once they were there, Rosemary came as well.

Here is a cute shot I got of Rosemary and Hope

I didn’t realize Hope had her tongue out, until I looked at the photo. Isn’t that cute??? Aren’t they good looking goats?

Here is a shot, that I got of Rosemary. It shows what a good looking goat she is!

I just LOVE her ears!!!

After taking the photos of the chicks and goats, it started sprinkling again, and then the skies opened up!! By the time DH and I got back to the house, we were both soaked! Suprisingly, the rain gauge didn’t even register that it had rained. It was cool to see how fast the goats ran to the goat shed, for cover. They don’t seem to mind a sprinkle or two. But, they really don’t like to be out in heavy rain.

I’ve been wanting to let the chickens and ducks out in the front yard, to help get rid of the grasshoppers. But it had to be a time that we could keep an eye on them. Today was the perfect time to do that. So, before we went to cover the hay, we left the gate between the side yard, and the front yard open and they eventually went out and had a feast. Here is a shot of them at their picnic.

We were totaly out of the hay that we got last year, so before we covered the round bales, we took the partial bale apart and took it to one of the stalls in the barn. Here is what it looks like now.

That should last us at least until we can get the two big round bales off the trailer.

 

[Ridgetop]

What happened with the Muscovy ducklings? Muscovies are my favorites. All dark meat - so yummy!

 

[Devonviolet]

What happened with the Muscovy ducklings? Muscovies are my favorites. All dark meat - so yummy!

Unfortunately, none of them hatched. A snake got all but nine, of the 20 eggs in the first nest. The second nest had only 9 eggs (If memory serves me - but then, it’s not all that good these days.). Since a snake was getting the eggs we were advised if we moved them to the barn stall, at night, the eggs might have a better chance of surviving.

So, one night (about10 PM), we moved both nests (it wasn’t easy) and the hens, to one of the stalls in the barn. It turned out not to be something the girls liked. Because both of them wouldn’t sit on their eggs for two days.: (. When I candled the eggs, several weren’’t even viable, several hadrottedin the shell, andtwo actually had ducklings in them. However, those two did not ever hatch. We even let her continue to set on the eggs, until they were a week past when they were supposed to hatch.

 

[RollingAcres]

Thanks @Southern by choice for the turkey info and sharing your pictures. I love the turkey "foster mom" pic!
I would like to raise some turkeys but the minimum is usually 10, I don't want that many.

@Devonviolet your lavender guinea is gorgeous!