New to turkeys

[ChucktheChick]

Hey guys I just got a turkey as a pet. He was the last turkey in this Feedstore bin and I had to get him since he looked so lonely! He/she is a bronze breasted turkey. I would like to know the following:

- how can you tell the gender as a baby
- can they eat chicken food?
- i read about Blackhead disease: where can you get the wormer for chickens and what does it do to turkeys?

Any other general info would be really great. Thanks guys!

 

[ivan3]

You can determine sex (if you just HAVE to know) by vent eversion:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/881796/how-do-i-tell-gender-of-young-turkeys

During first 12 weeks the 30% protein Game Bird Starter (Purina/Land of Lakes) is one option.

Switch between wormers (Fenbendazole - Safe Guard, then Eprinomectin, Eprinex Cattle pour-on) to maximize chances of getting any resistant variants. (Unless other poultry is currently/recently infested/treated - hold off and just keep a close eye on droppings).

After 12 weeks on the Starter, you're going to want to cut back to Flock Raiser (Purina) and limit feed to specific times. Using an old bathroom scale: pick up turkey and weigh yourself and turk together, weigh yourself. Record the difference. Start out by providing a known wt. of feed in morning. Remove after roosting and weigh food, again, and record difference daily; continue this for seven days. Repeat wt. check of turk at that time, as well. You will then have an idea of how much the turk is eating (wt. of food) and how much wt. it is gaining. At this point, feed only as much as it was eating, per day, the previous week, divided into two bowls (AM/PM). You can be pretty strict about this if your turk is out free ranging and has suitable forage available. If not, add an extra ounce of feed to both feedings. Weigh that turk every week. You are raising a MEAT BIRD as a pet. Broad Breasted Bronze can be maintained, most of the time, if wt. is kept under control (you can always augment diet with watermelon/grapes/oat grass).

If allowed to "roost", construct roost for it and don't allow it to roost elsewhere (2"x4" wide side up, no more than ~18" from the ground - preferably arranged above three or so inches of straw & or wood chips for landing), some lines of BB's are prone to leg/hip conditions/easily injured with few good outcomes.

Without the additional management measures, your pet will be fit for the oven before the leaves start to turn.

Some members have had good luck/done quite well keeping these "guys" going (particularly the hens). Having "tried, ourselves (heroic intervention(s) for leg/hip problems, we concluded that they were the "friendliest" of our turks & bred for doom & dinner

That said, one member reported a BBB hen that reached the amazing age of eleven so, best of luck to you both!

 

[JJSS89]

All of that info is seconded. If you want the thing to live long term it needs access to lots of space to build up it's joint strength. Even then it might not make it.

I've got a 1.5 yr old BBW hen that lays well and gets around good too. She is actually lighter and more athletic than she was in the winter. She can get up about 3.5' to roost. It makes me nervous but I can't keep her from jumping up on garbage cans etc.

As the poult gets older, it will need lots of grass and other greens. Otherwise it's likely to max out its weight and it will need to be slaughtered.

 

[chickandduck92]

How old r my turkeys they have some feathers but not yet all of them

 

[JJSS89]

How old r my turkeys they have some feathers but not yet all of them

Between 3 days old and 3 months old. You need to post pictures if you want any kind of reasonable guess.

 

[chickandduck92]

I try but it wont let me its my phone

 

[chickandduck92]

these are my turkeys how old are they we got them from the store on the 13th of this month of april

 

[WalnutHill]

Your picture is really not very helpful but I'd say 4-7 weeks.

these are my turkeys how old are they we got them from the store on the 13th of this month of april

 

[chickandduck92]

K

Your picture is really not very helpful but I'd say 4-7 weeks.

thank u

 

[chickandduck92]

Ok one of my 9 week old turkey poult died and we have one left which is the hen will she survive without the male