New Large turkey need help

[COgirl]

Hi I am new here and this has been a busy week, Monday got 27 pullets no problem there. Tuesday friends brought us a broadbreasted bronze tom that they got from an aquaintance, had been a 4H project turned pet then the kids lost interest but they continued to feed him verywell and keep him in a 4x4 pen. Needless to say he is huge I'm guessing 30lbs+ he walks, ok waddles, with some difficulty but is moveing about more, we made him a pen roughly 10x30 for night time and then turn him out for the day, we have 5 acres. If we continue to let him range will he lose weight and have a easier time getting about, he is very friendly really don't want to eat him. Right now I have him on Flock Raiser all the feed store had, and didn't think I wanted to put him on meat bird food, thought it would make him bigger. Any ideas on what and how much to feed him, is it even possible for him to lose weight. Thanks in advance for any help/ideas.

 

[FrankBlissett]

I don't know that he'll lose weight. I stand to be corrected by someone with more experience though. A month ago we got two free broad-breasted hens. They had been free ranged, and are at our place. Still, they're quite large (we guess 30 lbs but have not weighed them).

Our hens get around just fine, though they aren't especially quick about it (unless we shake a container of corn!). They just waddle from shady spot to shady spot and lay around most of the day. Very friendly though. When the utility crews were out at the road re-doing phone lines the other day, the turkeys waddled out there and spent some time with the workmen.

Your situation may be different though as your tom hasn't had much chance to exercise through his life.

-Frank

 

[cgjsmith]

How did the workmen take it LOL. C

 

[Wolf]

I have Heritage breed turks, and mine like to go see what any workman's doing. They're highly curious! Always gotta see what yer up to! They're like the Quality Control - LOL! The work-guys usually have a good ol' time playin' with 'em! I'd stepped out my front door once, thinking one had got out the fence... and found it was my phone-repair guy - yelping at my birds!

 

[COgirl]

Thankyou for the replies, I unfortunatly was out of town at a funeral for a Marine that was serving in Iraq with my son and was one of his very good friends, sad long week... Anyway when I got home Ed the turkey actually looked a mite smaller and he was walking SO much better, and he too goes from shady spot to shady spot during the day and he follows us around like a puppy when we are out working on the property. He loves chamomille out of my garden, he is really a cool bird, when people drive by they about fall out their car windows looking at the lady walking with her turkey, Ed did scare the mail lady yesterday he was in the shade of the elm by our mailbox and when she pulled up he gobbeled and she screeched, I giggled, he seems to be a good "watch turkey". Thakyou again for the replies now it is time to walk Ed to bed and check on the 27 baby chicks.

 

[cgjsmith]

I know my little turkeys are always into things I walk in the pen and they come up to me and start pecking at me if it shines its a goner. (I learned real quick not to paint my toenails and wear sandles ROFL) our fence doesn't go any where near anything that would have to be fixed so I won't get to see the turkeys interact with workmen. LOL C