Yesterday we went to Hover's Hatchery in Rudd Iowa which is just a few miles south of us. We picked up 13 3 week old Bronze turkeys. Our Bourbon Red and Naregansett turkeys didn't hatch any young this spring. Well not yet anyway ,we have one hen on a nest. We raise all our motherless poultry on our front porch. It is just way easier for me to tend to them that way.Our front porch is enclosed with windows etc. so it is predetor proof (as long as we make sure one of the cats don't get in there). This morning we had a major surprise! One of our does gave birth to doe twins. Amazing since we A.didnt' put the buck in with her B. Made sure the buck pen was way away from the girls this winter. To deliver today she would have had to be bred in January. Impossible....well we thought so anyway. A couple of days ago her bag looked swolen and I thought maybe she had injured it kicking at flies so yesterday I checked her out up close and personal and she was in milk.
I was stimied...untill this am. Last Oct. she had given birth to twin bucks and so after checking a few online goat sites found out the couldn't breed till they were 6 months so we waited till they were just 5 months to put them in their own pen. GUESS THE WEB SITES WERE WRONG HUH?????? the lil bucks were in the main doe pen so I'm sure we will have a few more surprises. When this doe freshened last fall she was not the greatest mom and had to be persuaded to let her twins nurse but after a time she was ok. I hoped her next go round she would just be a normal mom.. NOPE...I had to hog tie her to try to let the lil girls nurse. She had a fit so I just milked her out into a coffee mug then put the milk in bottles and fed the girls myself. Everytime I do this she is likeing it less and less and I get to do this round the clock for a couple of days. Happy Honey is on the road so it is just me. Whoopie....one of lifes left turns...gotta love em eh?....Well anyway here are some pics of turkey prep and poults.
Comments
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Congratulations on the suprise babies! I'm forever trying to talk Matt into letting me get turkeys. Maybe next year :) ~Kelli