[massa]

Feels weird, ive just set half a dozen turkey eggs which im hoping to raise for Christmas this year!

[tesni]

must be time to put the sprouts on too...........

[GrannieAnnie]

We collect our day old turkeys on Friday!

[Tazzy]

Had our geese for 3 weeks now, were only 10 weeks old when we had them. First time raising anything for the table and it feels a little strange, so they are NOT being named! Are geese the only things that poop more than they eat? 

[massa]

i think my quail chicks poop way more than they eat! i cant believe the mess they make! 

[New shoot]

I think most poultry are known poop machines 

We've just finished stock take at work so I have Christmas meetings to look forward to now.  I've been told I'm being temporarily moved off the plant team for the first 3 weeks of October to be part of the Christmas build up team.  We've got 8 themes to work out and a prop list to come up with..................in August................not sure I will be able to get my head round this     :blink:   

[pandoradeus]

there's a thought!

where do oyu take your birds to get them 'prepared' for the table - mentioned slaughtering to Himself and he went a bit wibbly so don't think he's be an option!

[massa]

i do my own, must admit never done a turkey before, have done alot of other birds though and think it will be the same just on a larger scale.

[tesni]

my OH wants a turkey to raise for Christmas - I'm concerned that they are large and noisy - or are they not too loud?   I've got neighbours to consider so how much gobbling might go on does worry me - also would one on it's own cope - we have chickens but would they bully it?  everybody in the family seems to want something different! I can't balance it all! 

[GrannieAnnie]

Massa, turkeys are actually easier to pluck than chickens, at least I think so, more substantial feathers to get hold of! lol

Tesni, it's not a good iea to keep turkeys with chickens as chickns carry somethign called blackhead which doesn't kill chickens, but can kill the turkey!  We do know people who keep them together, but their housekeeping has to be second to none.  Wormed every month too.

Also turkeys like other poultry need friends of their own kind.  I don't think its kind to keep one turkey on its own, so you'd better get 3!   

We kill, pluck and gut our own as OH is a licensed poultry slaughterman

[massa]

do you have to be licenced if you are only producing for yourself or is it just if you want to sell them? i dont intend to sell any!

[GrannieAnnie]

No licence if its only for your own use Massa, but my Brian does it for other people too, so he needs to be.

[tesni]

thanks GrannieAnnie - THREE!  may give it a miss this year unless I can talk my Mum into having them in her garden    pushing my luck having that many here.  Stick to my chickens for now. 

[GrannieAnnie]

Some people do just keep one Tesni, but I think you'd then treat it more like a pet and come Christmas dinner, you'll be sitting down to a bit of beef and the turkey will be outside laughing its head off!  

Oh and you can get smaller breeds, and they don't gobble all the time, in fact I'm not sure if the girls do gobble, it's just the boys!  The girls 'peep'

Mind you, if you've got a few of them!