All Turkey Owners I Have A Question For You!

[poult]

I've got two broad-breasted turkeys and they could easily eat a 50 lb bag of food on a week and they never stop eating.Are all turkey's slobs?Do all turkey's eat and eat and eat constantly or do they stop when they get full? Midget White turkeys are suppose to be the smallest breed how much would you say yours eat in a week? Thanks for anyone that replies.

 

[FarmerMac]

Last year I raised six BB poults, grew up with chickens free ranging. They learned to scratch the ground and look for food in the woods. When they got older, I saw that they would no longer look for food and instead they would just go into the chicken coop and eat all the chicken feed. I would say that my six turkeys would chow down about two - four pounds of feed a day. If they stayed penned, more food than if they were out with the chickens free ranging. The hens were over 20 lbs, and the Toms over 30. It was greeting expensive so we sold them for Thanks Giving.

 

[poult]

Yeah I don't free range mine and they just eat so much feed.

 

[chknoodles]

The first year to two years, turkeys are growing and they eat an excessive amount. However, if you keep them around past their first year, you will notice a big decrease in how much they eat and by the end of year two, they will be very reasonable eaters. We have a Narri pen with birds less than a year old and I refill their HUGE feeder every day. Our Bronze pen, the Tom and 2 out of 3 hens will be 2 this Spring and I have to fill their feeder every 2 - 3 days. Our Rio pen, the Tom is our oldest turkey and he will be 4 years old soon along with his hen and there is one of their daughters in there...about every 3 - 4 days I fill their feeder. So be patient and let them eat what they need to be able to grow to their full potential and I promise, the little gluttons will slow down once they fully mature.

 

[poult]

Ok that's good to know mine are both 2 years old in a couple months though :/

 

[chknoodles]

You may want to look at your protein levels. We feed a 30% turkey starter for the first 6 months and then switch to a gamebird/quail feed with 20% protein. Turkeys eat less with a higher protein feed AND they need it. True story, in Nov we got a "grown" Narri hen, sight unseen, to be with our big boys this spring. The girl was downright small compared to our less-than-a -year old female. The right food always available ensures your bird will grow to it's fullest size potential. Lots of people just feed their turkeys whatever they feed their chickens..or scratch (which is only 10% protein if you buy the 5-grain mix, I think it is 8% for the regular 3 grain scratch)..that is not enough protein for turkeys.

Just as a side note...the small girl has filled out in the 2 months we've had her..she looks better, but she will never get taller..her skeletal structure is done growing and nothing we do now will ever make her as big and sturdy looking as the hens we've raised with proper feed from day one.

 

[poult]

Hmmm good to know because during winter I feed scratch to everyone to keep weight on them because the grains make them gain weight and keep them warmer but I also give leftovers and they eat lots of bugs and grass in stuff too.

 

[chknoodles]

Scratch is a treat and is a wonderful addition in cold weather for the extra calories to keep warm. It is to be fed to your birds 1 hour before sunset on cold evenings or on occasion for a treat. We use it as the "reward" for returning to their pens after being out for a little free time in the yard (we shake a plastic container that has scratch in it and they come running). Winter bugs are scarce as well as the good grass and weeds that help make up a turkey's complete diet. If they were wild birds, they would be able to cover a few miles a day searching for "unfrozen" bugs and greenery that has not yet died off. Most of us don't have miles of property available for our turks to roam, so a good feed with sufficient protein is needed, esp in the colder months.

 

[poult]

Where I live although it's cold I still have lots of greenery and bugs.

 

[poult]

Thanks for all the help