Chickens, and things related

[jeffinsgf]

Eddie, if you're still following this thread (which I just found) could I ask you do to some investigating for me? Would you please check with your local conservation department before you release domestic turkeys into the wild. Wild turkeys are adapted to living on their own. I don't think the domestic turkeys you buy from a hatchery would be well adapted, nor do I think they would be accepted by the wild turkey population.

I think the conservation department will encourage you to place your time and energy toward improving the habitat of the wild turkeys, if you want more of them in your woods.

We have as many as 14 at a time in our backyard.

 

[Tororider]

Jeff,
Not sure about that, but looking into it is probably smart, although I am guessing Eddie already has.

From what little research I have done in Michigan with regards to pheasants, the state welcomes private citizens raising them for release. They don't have the resources to do it and they welcome all the help they can get. I think you can do up to 12 without permits, after that you need to get permits for possesion and release, but I believe the breeder/egg seller can issue permits upon sale.

But, like I said, I am guessing Eddie has already checked into this.

 

[WarrenF]

I also think that Warren was traumatized by chickens as a youth, maybe chased by chickens when he was small. That much angst must be explained by something as a young man. Just kidding Warrenf.

You made me laugh at that one.....However, as a young boy of 5 years old....my father would come home at lunch and take a bit of a nap. Then when he got up to go back to farming.....he would go to the chicken pen to kill some chickens for my mom. He would reach down and grab them by the neck and spin them around until their heads came off....and then fling them out of the pen. It was my brother and my job to keep them from running all over the yard. Five years old and chasing headless chickens all over our yard with blood spurting out of their necks......That is when I knew I did not like chickens.

 

[Tororider]

WarrenF,
Your story was worse than anything that I could have come up with, now I can understand your dislike for chickens. I will make sure not to pull heads off chickens in front of my 3.5 year old and 1 year old children. Bad, bad, idea.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Jeff,
Not sure about that, but looking into it is probably smart, although I am guessing Eddie already has.

From what little research I have done in Michigan with regards to pheasants, the state welcomes private citizens raising them for release. They don't have the resources to do it and they welcome all the help they can get. I think you can do up to 12 without permits, after that you need to get permits for possesion and release, but I believe the breeder/egg seller can issue permits upon sale.

But, like I said, I am guessing Eddie has already checked into this.

Well, I should have Googled before I posted. I did not realize that there were sub-species of wild turkey, one of which is referred to as "Rio Grande". I would still check with the local game authorities, but he isn't planning on doing what I first thought -- that is releasing domesticated species into the wild.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie, if you're still following this thread (which I just found) could I ask you do to some investigating for me? Would you please check with your local conservation department before you release domestic turkeys into the wild.

Funny you should mention that. My whole idea for releasing turkeys is based on what happened last year. My neighbor has 240 acres and has been working on improving it as turkey habitat with both the ag extention and a fish and game biologist. There are very, very few wild turkeys in my area. Common thought is that fire ants wiped them out, but the fish and game biologist said it's more complicated, but mostly habitat. Hay farming, logging and development have been the biggest reasons.

They released 10 Rio Grande Turkeys. Two males and 8 females. Three of them were here for about a month, the worked there way across the highway to the water districts land for another month. After that, it's anybodies guess where they went. The other seven hung around the release area for several months before wondering off. All ten survived for several months, but none have been see in the last six months.

Those birds were pen raised and until they were released, they had only lived on a farm, in a cage. There will be at least one more release next year with two hoped for depending on the birds available. How many they will release will also depend on how many are available.

Back to my plan. I will accent the released birds with more of the same. It's a numbers game and it might take 80% mortality to get some to survive long enough to breed. It might be more. I think I can increase the survivability rate by raising them here and letting them "escape" on their own. I'm hopeful that they will stick around the house for awhile where it's safe while learning how to survive on their own.

It's legal, but once they are released, they are no longer domestic and fall under state law. If I killed one after it was released outside of hunting season, that would be poaching. Other then that, it's mildly encouraged, but that's about all they will do.

I kind of expect it to be a money pit, or even a total waste of money. I also think that it's worth a try and since my neighbor is trying, I can at least help. The worse case scenerio is that the kids will still get to experience something that I never did.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[milkman]

WarrenF,
Your story was worse than anything that I could have come up with, now I can understand your dislike for chickens. I will make sure not to pull heads off chickens in front of my 3.5 year old and 1 year old children. Bad, bad, idea.

All the kids around when I grew up lived with cutting chicken heads off, shooting, sticking, and butchering hogs and beef, and nobody I knew grew up scarred from it. If we wanted to eat, it's how we got meat, not too complicated.

 

[lrunge]

When I was a small pre-school kid (early 50s) I spent summers during the weekdays on my uncle's small poultry farm. My job was to feed the chickens and gather eggs. He butchered and delivered chickens and fresh eggs. He used to grab the chicken and slam it down on a tree stump and cut it's head off and then grab the next one. I remember them running for a little bit then falling over. I thought it was funny. Then I had to pick them up and take them to my aunt who had boiling pots of water and she would clean and pluck them. He delivered chickens and eggs and she made feather pillows and bed spreads. I still love to eat chicken.

 

[Tororider]

No, I agree that there is nothing wrong with it, but I will let my 3.5 year old grow up a bit before exposing him to that. I am sure if I explained it to him he would be fine. I think we "baby" our kids, my generation included, and that is why we have groups like PETA, who probably set out to do good, but now have become a joke of an organization for the most part.

 

[milkman]

Yea, it was a way of life then, can't just throw it at our kids and grandkids out of the blue now though, maybe that's what happened that created the strange types that want to humanize all the beasts. Not too crazy about eating chickens, but sure like the eggs.