Best Turkey Breed

[jenniemig]

I would like to add a few turkeys to my mini farm.

I have 8 four week old chicks (6 golden sex links, 1 danish brown leghorn, and 1 unknown) and 3 ducklings (white crested, khaki, and black east indie). They would be for pets only, not interested in raising them for meat, so I'd like for them to be as docile as possible. My local feed store offers Bronze Turkey chicks, but I know nothing about them. The guy that I bought 2 of my ducklings from has Royal Palm turkeys, but no fertile eggs yet. They're really attractive turkeys and seemed like their temperaments were OK, a bit stand-off-ish but I am not the one that feeds them!

 

[barredmuscovy]

 

[barredmuscovy]

Royal Palm turkey's

 

[jenniemig]

beautiful!

 

[barredmuscovy]

Indeed I recommend them

 

[barredmuscovy]

 

[Lagerdogger]

While everyone has different experiences, my experience has been that standard bronze and Narragansett have been a little more friendly than white colors like royal palm and midget white. No idea why this would be since they were raised together. Could just be the personalities of the individual birds. But if my primary goal was to get some laid back heritage turkeys for pets, I would go with standard bronze, which is not the bronze turkey you find for $5 each at the local farm supply stor

 

[jenniemig]

While everyone has different experiences, my experience has been that standard bronze and Narragansett have been a little more friendly than white colors like royal palm and midget white. No idea why this would be since they were raised together. Could just be the personalities of the individual birds. But if my primary goal was to get some laid back heritage turkeys for pets, I would go with standard bronze, which is not the bronze turkey you find for $5 each at the local farm supply stor

Thanks for the input. I have put the word out to locals who hatch turkeys. The only variety I can find so far are the Royals. From what ive been told its a little early for turkeys. I had a very bad experience with mail order ducks, so I won't be getting anything live through the mail again.

 

[jenniemig]

I have put my name on the list for 3 RP's that are in the incubator now. I'm guessing it'll be 3-4 weeks before I get them. The bronze that were available at my feed store were the $5 ones mentioned above by Laggerdogger. They said they were meat birds.

A few questions so that I can prepare...

What do I feed them?

I have my chicks on Purina medicated starter, and my ducklings on Mazuri waterfowl starter. I was planning to switch them all to flock raiser when they're mature.

How are they housed? Do they roost? Do they need nest boxes? Can they share a run with my hens?

I have a coop and run for my chickens, and a separate house and run for the ducks.

Are turkeys prone to any illness/disease?

I am treating a crested duckling for wry neck and have read that turkeys get it often too. Do I need to give them any supplements to prevent?

 

[R2elk]

I have put my name on the list for 3 RP's that are in the incubator now. I'm guessing it'll be 3-4 weeks before I get them. The bronze that were available at my feed store were the $5 ones mentioned above by Laggerdogger. They said they were meat birds.

A few questions so that I can prepare...

What do I feed them?

I have my chicks on Purina medicated starter, and my ducklings on Mazuri waterfowl starter. I was planning to switch them all to flock raiser when they're mature.

How are they housed? Do they roost? Do they need nest boxes? Can they share a run with my hens?

I have a coop and run for my chickens, and a separate house and run for the ducks.

Are turkeys prone to any illness/disease?

I am treating a crested duckling for wry neck and have read that turkeys get it often too. Do I need to give them any supplements to prevent?

Turkeys need a higher protein content than is in chick starter. Use turkey or game bird starter. Here is a link to how Porter's starts his turkey poults.

http://www.porterturkeys.com/poultstartingtips.htm

In my experience it is much harder to start and keep alive just 3 poults than it is to start and raise a much larger number. Whenever i have started with ten or more, I have not lost any poults while starting with five or fewer I have had many losses. My experience is that placing a chick or two in with the turkey poults is beneficial in getting the poults to learn to eat and drink.

If you are located in an area where blackhead is prevalent, raising turkeys with the chickens will most likely lead to the death of the turkeys from blackhead. If you are in an area like I am where blackhead is not an issue, then there is no problem raising turkeys and chickens together. You can find out if blackhead is a local problem by contacting your local agriculture extension agent.

I had Bourbon Reds, Blue Slates and Royal Palms all at the same time. The Bourbon Reds were by far the friendliest of the three breeds with the hens willing to approach and take grasshoppers from my hands while the other varieties remained aloof.

Good luck.