A few questions

[FarmerGilland]

I've heard that you have to let a turkey eat a rock so it can get into the gizzard before they can eat grass, table scraps, etc. Is this true?

Plus there has been alot of talk about blackhead disease. I'm new with turkeys. Is this something I should be worried about? I don't have chickens, just turkeys.

 

[Denninmi]

I believe that almost all commercially made feed has some amount of grit in it for digestion. But, I don't know what it would hurt to offer them a little bit of fine grit when they're small. I would use something very fine, like finch/parakeet grit at first, then graduate to larger sized as they grow.

As far as blackhead goes, its really hard to say. The organism that causes it occurs in the wild in various bird species, but in pockets. Some areas have it, some don't. You could probably call you country's cooperative extension service, your state department of agriculture's poultry inspector or veterinary inspection service and just ask them if blackhead is known to occur in your immediate area. Even if it is or isn't, there's no guarantee either way. If you let them free range on ground, they could eat worms, which are the vector for spreading blackhead. Perhaps you might want to invest in a bottle of Fish-Zole and just have it on hand in case you see symptoms develop - odds are you will never need to use it.

 

[FarmerGilland]

They don't free range! There a month old and only been outside in the coop for about 2 weeks. I don't have my fenced in pen finished yet. Thanks for the info.

 

[Denninmi]

Also, check out the thread about using cayenne pepper to treat and possibly prevent blackhead -- its cheap and certainly won't hurt anything. Definitely worth a try.

 

[Arielle]

GRit--small pebbles for an adult bird to sand for young poults--this works by grinding the feed they consume if its a whole or cracked or broken grain or grases and the like. SOme foods do not need the grit for the bird to digest it: commercially ground and pelleted or mash or crumble. It does not have added grit; at least not on any feed tags I have ever read. Watermelon, and egg and other non-fibrous foods do not need grit; grit works to break down food because they have no teeth to chew and grind their food.

Not all areas have blackhead; check with your local extension for this information; they can update you properly.

good luck