Baby Turkeys have Hatched

[CrealCritter]

I love the cinderblock building, what a nice poultry house! What is cow itch, never heard of it before.

Sorry must have missed your question. Cow Itch is a huge broad leaf weed that can grow very tall, 12 foot or more. The name "cow itch" is local here in southern IL because if a cow gets up on it they will itch something awful. Brushing up against the leaves with my bare skin also causes me to develop a minor rash that itches like crazy for about 24 hours but then it goes away.

It seems like the perfect shade plant for my turkeys though. The bottom leaves are high enough off the ground for them to walk under and they seem to already know not to eat any part of the plant. So it maintains it's foliage from early spring to the first hard frost and provides them with cover and shade. They poop under it and the cow itch just keeps growing taller and busher.

I guess I may have found a good use for cow itch after all at least for me I did.

 

[CrealCritter]

Six little baby turkeys following there momma where ever the go. They are spunky little things wondering off, getting lost and crying weep weep weep until one of the momma's purrs back the the lost chick will follow the purr and run back to momma when it sees her. But the buff orpengton chick stays right by momma turkey at all times.

The 6 baby turkeys are on the far right hand side. Their little tiny things. The buff orpengton chick is right next to the second momma turkey. They sure are cute - I'll give you that.
,

 

[Miss Lydia]

Your cow itch sounds similar to our stinging nettle although it doesn't grow that tall.

Those babies are sure cute, Mamas are pretty too.

 

[CrealCritter]

I've read in numerous places on the internet that burbon red hens aren't good mommas.

I beg to differ but I think they are really good momma's. I even seen one YouTube video where a guy took the babies from the hens as soon as they hatched claiming he could brood them better than the hens could. I'm glad all that internet information turned out to be incorrect. Because this guy really doesn't want to try and play momma hen to a bunch of baby turkeys.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Hmm I hadn't heard that. I think most heritage hens are good mommas. Glad yours are doing well!

 

[CrealCritter]

Since that darn wasp messed up my hand and it rained today - decided to observe my turkeys for a little while instead of going out to the garden.

Couple things I thought we're cool:

1) Momma turkey would catch a bug (cricket) and hold it in her beak, lower head down and the baby turkeys would flock to her to eat the bug from her mouth.

2) My Tom did the same thing as the hen did (catch a bug and feed it to the babies)

3) My roosters I have in the turkey yard are getting a run for their money. Both the hens and the tom keep them far away from the chicks.

4) Both mamma's and tom step carefully when the babies are under foot.

5) the lil buff orpengton chick they hatched seems to be right at home.

6) they sure are cute

In all honesty... I really think these turkeys could stand a chance living in the wild. Maybe not... but they seem to have good instincts anyways.

A few pictures.

I took the feeder down off the cinder block, so the babies could reach it. They took right to it and started eating.

First time I got to catch a baby and hold it. Both mommas ran over to me when it started chirping real loud. But after they seen I wasn't gonna hurt the baby the we're cool with me holding one and walked away to the other babies

 

[Miss Lydia]

Precious!

 

[sumi]

They sound like better moms that most of my chickens! The number of times I've had to a shoo an oblivious hen off the poor chick she's standing on…

Have you got any loose corrugated metal sheets lying around by any chance? If so and you can fit it in the run, put a section down on the ground where it won't be in the way (for you) and leave it for a few days, or a week or so. It will become a cricket hiding place… You know where I'm going Call the turkeys over and lift the sheet and enjoy. I used to do this for my chickens. Caught literally 100's of crickets this way and seeing those birds and crickets scramble when I flipped the sheet was great fun!

 

[Mini Horses]

Those turkeys are very pretty. Love the coloring. Hens would probably do more to a predator after a chick but, they know you. IMO

I have a hen with 6 chicks who is fierce! Chicks are about a month, they go everywhere. Yesterday, two slipped into the garden area that I had surrounded a wooden fence with chicken wire. Hen & 4 chicks left, 2 on wrong side couldn't but kept hollering as mom clucked for them to come along. I went inside to shoo them thru open gate. Nope, they ran in other direction, so I cornered and picked one up to put over the 4' fence. That mom raced to the shrieking chick and tried to fly into my face!! 2 chicks, 2 attacks. 2nd time she almost got to me....my arm stopped her. This is not a big hen...she sure thought she was 10' tall and a NINJA !!! Gotta love them

 

[baymule]

One of my favorite pics of all times on BYC was of a totally naked, molting Silkie caught in mid-air defending her chicks. I believe the caption was Kung-Fu Henny Penny.