I need HELP - Burbon Red

[CrealCritter]

I have now had 100% loss of my brood of 6 baby turkeys that my two hens hatched out a several weeks ago. I'm so discouraged and am lost as to what my next steps are. The symptoms are all the same... Find baby turkey dead in the turkey yard with a broken neck. First I thought the Tom was killing them by stepping on them. So I sperated the Tom from the two hens and their babies. But it didn't stop... I just found my last baby turkey dead in the yard with the two hens.

I really don't know what to do other than to take the babies when they hatch from the hens and brood them myself... I don't want to play momma hen to turkey babies but I really don't know what else to do???

Please help me understand what's going on here and what I may be doing wrong...

Thanks

 

[NH Homesteader]

Any chance the hens are going after each other's babies? How secure is your fence, any predator sized holes?

 

[CrealCritter]

Fence is secure, maybe the hens might be going after each others babies IDK? It's quite dis-heartening though . Maybe there's a reason burbon reds are on the endangered species list - maybe this is why... I just don't know.

I really hope someone can shed some light on this for me...

Anyways my wife and I are going to put the tom back in with the two hens later this evening... Both hens are laying down now - like they do for the tom, before and while they are laying their clutches.

I'm really dis-hearted by the whole thing. I'll give it one more go and take the babies as the hatch and brood them myself away from the hens. If that don't work I guess I'll just eat the tom and hens and try a different heritage breed of turkey.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I do not believe Bourbon Reds are known for their mothering ability. Are you on Backyard Herds? There's a woman over there who really knows her turkeys named Farmerjan. She would have advice.

I'll ask my husband his opinion when he gets home. He has put way more effort into being turkey-minded than I have! If they had broken necks though... Something got them.

If you don't like the heartbreak of losing turkeys (like anyone does), don't get chocolates. They have a fatal gene that causes some of them to drop dead for no apparent reason at 2 weeks old. I believe Narragansett and Spanish, and Blue Slate would all be good choices.

 

[NH Homesteader]

DH thinks maybe an accidental trampling... Like I said, they aren't known to be great mothers...

Sorry about your losses. That stinks. Are your hens still laying? Mine just quit for the season.

 

[CrealCritter]

DH thinks maybe an accidental trampling... Like I said, they aren't known to be great mothers...

Sorry about your losses. That stinks. Are your hens still laying? Mine just quit for the season.

They are acting like they are about to go into to lay again, yes...

Thank you for replying "accidental trampling" is a very good guess as to what might be happening. I know there are no health issues my birds are good and healthy.

 

[CrealCritter]

@NH Homesteader

I think I recall you saying at one point in time that your raising Chocolates? How is the chocolate breed? Do you have the same issue I have?

I've been wanting to get 5 or 6 sweetgrass they just seem appealing to me but I have no idea about their temperament this is very little info on sweetgrass breed.

 

[NH Homesteader]

There is some info on the sweetgrass breed on Backyard Chickens. I don't know much about them myself.

I have no idea (yet) if chocolates are good moms. Never had a broody chocolate, we incubated and hatched out chicks ourselves. There is also little information on chocolates.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ok so, don't take this as gospel but... I just read that Sweetgrass were developed from a strain of bronze turkeys. Sweetgrass isn't a breed, just a color variation, but it does breed true (if you order from someone good like Porter). Well, technically all turkeys are color variations and there is only one breed of turkey, but that's beside the point....

So, if they come from bronze turkeys it would stand to reason they would be similar in temperament. Standard bronze (not broad breasted) are heavier than bourbon reds, and similar in temperament to the other bigger varieties (narragansett, spanish, etc). Good birds.

I would go for it. If nothing else they'll be good eating! And I would be curious to hear about your experience.