Give me the dirt on turkeys

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

I checked out your website and noticed you didn't list that you fed them 28% feed their whole life on there?

You'll find that I state they are fed a free choice feed that is non medicated & 100% vegetarian based. The Normal Consumer doesn't know the difference between 28% or 10%.Didn't ever feel that would be necessary ?? I could add it in if means anything ?? 28,21,18,or16 % its all feed just different protein and when I looked at your website I missed what you feed yours ??

They grow as quick as they do because of the feed not the free range.

Actually no its not the 28% feed that makes them grow that size it's the breeding. The 28% just helps them put on that little extra weight that is needed for a market bird of the mid 20 lb range. I have a breeder down the road from us that only feeds 18% during grow out and finish and he only averages 3-4 lbs less then we do same strains. And he only does this to save $3.00 a bag on feed. I also never said they grow from the range. I was merely stating that if on good pasture they will gain a little more weight then on a sub standard pasture. We plant our pastures with high protein legumes that the turkeys really love, not just plain grass. Also I grew out 75 McMurray birds this last year on the same system and averaged 15-18lbs Toms and 8-12 on hens, so it does have to do with the breeding.

Do you feed your breeders 28% as well?

They are raised in separate areas as they are 2-3 months younger then the market birds. We keep our later hatches for our breeding stock. May/June/July Hatches. We raise them on a free choice feeding system and free range. They get 28% for about 4 months and then they are set back to a 18% until a month before lay and then to a 16% layer. With this it is still common to have 30-40lb BR Toms. This year I sold my last years breeding Narragansett Tom weighing in at 49lbs. at 1 1/2 years old.


If you really think I'm blowing smoke up your dress you can contact
- Mike Walters @ Walters Poultry - 918-696-4358 or [email protected]
- H&H Poultry - Jim - 918-577-8579 or [email protected]
- Lazy Lazy 54 Farm - (503) 981-7801 or [email protected]

These are the strains of turkeys we raise and they will all tell you what their own 8 month grow out average is and I think you'll find that I'm right in their with them on weights ?? These guys also grow out between 1,500 -7,000 birds a year.If breeding is right and they have all they need these heritage birds can get HUGE !! They will never have the white meat the commercial birds do but they can get up there in LBS if you let them.


Also here is a quote from a paper written by Mike Walters and Frank Reese probably the two greatest turkey breeders and growers around to this day I'm sure they know what they are doing ?? So it is not too uncommon ?? And they are not my methods they are THE METHODS.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/rangeturkeybooklet.pdf

Standard turkeys require a high protein diet throughout their growth and
development. A free choice ration containing 28% protein, in addition to
daily access to quality forage is recommended.
Pre-made feeds and Custom recipes. Purina game bird starter can be used
and is readily available.

Use high protein from start to finish. 28% protein is recommended for
standard turkeys​

 

[sandspoultry]

The biggest difference in our methods of raising turkeys is you are going for the fastest, largest weight gain to get your birds to market. We raise ours free range to preserve the heritage breeds using the APA as a guidline and also breed them to the original. The weight you stated for your Narri and Bourbon Red while impressive and would make great meat birds would have points taken away in a show for being over weight guidlines.

"The Normal Consumer doesn't know the difference between 28% or 10%" You would be surpised how much the average consumer does know. When we raised market turkeys I was often suprised at the level of knoweldge they had.

After much research we use a feeding program outlined by Dr Stanley Marsden. In case you don't know the name he was the "father" of the Beltsville Small White turkey that was developed in the 1930's at the USDA research station in Beltsville, Md. The feed schedule is basicly as follows

28% for 6 to 8 weeks old
20% for 8 to 16-20 weeks old depending on the breed.
16 to 18% from there on depending on the season- higher protien during breeding season

I have read "Raising Standard Turkeys for the Holiday Market" quite a few times and thought it was interesting to see that they quoted Dr Marsden a few times in the pamplet.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Yes you are correct on the feeding schedule for the Beltsville White, They were developed to produce a smaller broad breasted turkey, So with this you would want to feed them more like a commercial breed.Even the midget white is to be considered a broad breasted white just alot smaller.Very similar to and often called Beltsville Whites (so they can be shown in poultry shows), they are a little smaller and not as broad-breasted as the Beltsville.

We raise ours free range to preserve the heritage breeds using the APA as a guidline and also breed them to the original

We also breed to these standards. If you look up the old time weight numbers you will see that my weights are right in there. We also breed to the original. We just use a strict culling process.

The weight you stated for your Narri and Bourbon Red while impressive and would make great meat birds would have points taken away in a show for being over weight guidelines

If I seen right on your website you had the Bronze and Br Turkeys and Hollands all in this weight range as the APA guideline weights state ?? Actually all of my strains Parents/Grandparents are all show/meat birds. In Oklahoma/South they are shown and take state. And here in the PNW they are shown and score very well. Usually #1 or #2. So they are shown alot all over the US and they are scoring very high and making #1 state birds ????

"The Normal Consumer doesn't know the difference between 28% or 10%" You would be surprised how much the average consumer does know. When we raised market turkeys I was often surprised at the level of knowledge they had.

That is great. The consumer needs to be educated about the turks as much as possible. I always share any information they want to know . Even share some that most don't care about. They just know that the meat is great and the birds are outside being birds. But telling them about my feed % would probably just bore most ?? But if you think it is really important that they know then I will get it added in ASAP.

28% for 6 to 8 weeks old
20% for 8 to 16-20 weeks old depending on the breed.
16 to 18% from there on depending on the season- higher protein during breeding season

These are the feeding guidelines of the broad breasted commercial strains, not heritage birds. Every paper written on Heritage birds that I have read state a 28 % feed start to finish. For market birds. Now for breeding birds and show birds this probably right ??



I breed true to the strain and breed all original never cross bred . All my birds meet the APA Guidelines in the breeding. It is the same as all poultry. I breed for production/standards, you breed for show/standards. All of my strains can be traced back to some of the original heritage turkeys. I feel preserving a strain to the original means of the bird MEAT and breeding true to the strain is important to me. Not breeding for show. Everybody knows that show birds are not breed for all around purposes just for the show ring. Then you take the show bird that someone buys to eat and they are all disappointed because they got a 8-12 hen and a 15-18 tom instead of the norm in a normal grow out season.


It has been a great discussion with you and clearly we raise our birds different from each other. That is what makes America great because two people with two different ideas can do what they want and share results with each other. And we too have been around breeding heritage turks for man many many years.​

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I have a couple of questions for anyone who has experience:

Do the automatic turners such as the Little Giant or Hova Bator work with turkey eggs?

Are the standard models large enough? Ive seen some that have "extensions" that they say are for goose eggs, but I cant find any information on egg dimensions for different birds,

What's the best incubator for chickens and turkeys without having to spend a fortune?

Thanks in advance!

 

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
The ones for a hovabator will work but you can only use every other slot, they won't fit side by side. We use a gqf sportsman for incubators and I swear you can hatch wooden eggs in one. If you want poults let us know, this is Steve and Sharon, we talked with you at the sale at Yoders last summer.

Steve

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote:
The ones for a hovabator will work but you can only use every other slot, they won't fit side by side. We use a gqf sportsman for incubators and I swear you can hatch wooden eggs in one. If you want poults let us know, this is Steve and Sharon, we talked with you at the sale at Yoders last summer.

Steve

Yep! LOL I knew who you were. And I knew you'd know!!

We've been talking about an incubator for a long time, and we want to make sure to get one that will handle the turkey eggs.
Do you think this one or one very similar would work?:

http://www.homeandbarnbasics.com/2400Incubator.html

I dont need anything huge and expensive.

We've narrowed our bird choices down to Bourbon Reds and Midget Whites. Now I just need to get the pens and coops set up.

I did finally get the pigeon coop finished, and got some King Pigeons, and they are doing well so far. I bought 20 (mostly young birds) Labor Day weekend, and they have hatched 5 so far, and I have one sitting on 2 eggs now.

When we get ready for poults we will definitely get them from you.
We were looking at your website just this morning and my wife was "ooooing and ahhhing" over all the different birds and the rabbits too.

Thanks!

 

[sandspoultry]

The stryofoam incubators will hatch pretty well and work for small batches. However they are sensitive to changes in room temp, I would get the one with the fan as they will give a more even temp. Under the incubating and hatching section there is alot of threads about the different 'bators. Our first one was a hovabator and I think we got it direct from GQF as it was cheaper.

Steve

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Good evening everyone
Just wanted to ask some questions on Turkeys? I need your professional oponions....

!. Would one Tom and two hen live comfortable in a coop thats 4x3 feet and a 10 by 6 feet fenced yard ....with some free ranging time?

2. Do hens make their nests or should I supply a nesting box?

3.What about the winter months....does anyone put a heat light on in the colder nights?

4. Do turkey hens go broody like a chicken hen...?? to hatch out eggs or is there a specific breed that goes broody more?

thanks so much....

 

[ivan3]

!. Would one Tom and two hen live comfortable in a coop thats 4x3 feet and a 10 by 6 feet fenced yard ....with some free ranging time?

I'd double that: 8x6/20x12 (see page ten of thread - someone else from Ontario asked about this). Six ft. 1"x2" welded wire fencing around run is very good as well. They'll still fly out occasionally, but not as often.

2. Do hens make their nests or should I supply a nesting box?

If you don't supply secure nesting area/nests they'll wander hither and yon until they park in the most predator prone area on/off your property.

3.What about the winter months....does anyone put a heat light on in the colder nights?

We have a 15w that is used to give them a little light in the mornings. Adult turkeys are very cold hardy. Good layer of dry bedding and no drafts and all should be copacetic.

4. Do turkey hens go broody like a chicken hen...?? to hatch out eggs or is there a specific breed that goes broody more?

Turkey hens are dragonesses once they start setting (hissing, flogging, moving their heads to and fro like cobras and they do strike - long sleeves required). They don't go broody until the egg count reaches the magic number so, if a hen starts an unauthorized nest, gather up the eggs and move them to secure nest.

ed: Forgot to mention, they will need a scrape (turkey version of a dustbathing area), whatever you do DO NOT get downwind of them after they've completed their ablutions (you'll be choking in a fog of dust and dander).​

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
I'd double that: 8x6/20x12 (see page ten of thread - someone else from Ontario asked about this). Six ft. 1"x2" welded wire fencing around run is very good as well. They'll still fly out occasionally, but not as often.

2. Do hens make their nests or should I supply a nesting box?

If you don't supply secure nesting area/nests they'll wander hither and yon until they park in the most predator prone area on/off your property.

3.What about the winter months....does anyone put a heat light on in the colder nights?

We have a 15w that is used to give them a little light in the mornings. Adult turkeys are very cold hardy. Good layer of dry bedding and no drafts and all should be copacetic.

4. Do turkey hens go broody like a chicken hen...?? to hatch out eggs or is there a specific breed that goes broody more?

Turkey hens are dragonesses once they start setting (hissing, flogging, moving their heads to and fro like cobras and they do strike - long sleeves required). They don't go broody until the egg count reaches the magic number so, if a hen starts an unauthorized nest, gather up the eggs and move them to secure nest.

ed: Forgot to mention, they will need a scrape (turkey version of a dustbathing area), whatever you do DO NOT get downwind of them after they've completed their ablutions (you'll be choking in a fog of dust and dander).​

I assume you're getting heritage turkeys, right? Your plan won't work at all if you get BBW or BBB.​