Boosting chick crumble for Turkey Poults?

Lizzy733

Crowing
5 Years
Nov 13, 2018
1,215
2,294
311
New Zealand
Hey guys,

My last chick hatch was smaller than I expected and I'm thinking they're not going to make it through their bag of Chick's Choice medicated starter.

Boosting the protein, would this be suitable for raising turkey Poults? I'm seriously thinking about getting some eggs soon and would hate for the feed to go to waste. It contains coccistat and I see recommendations to not give Poults medicated, but then see there are poult specific formulas that are..

I'm in NZ and turkey in general are kinda a rare thing here, so game bird crumble is pretty much the only alternative. I've heard soybean meal cut 1 to 5 parts crumble should give a good boost. (Are soybean and soya meal the same? I see the latter tends to be more readily available) Are there any others out there that are a good sub?

Or anything else I should look to blend in that would make it more suitable for Poults?

Chook Choice ingredients are:

Typical Analysis
Fat Max 5%
Salt Max 2%
Crude Protein Min 19%
Crude Fibre Max 6%
__
Ingredients:
Wheat, Barley, Triticale, Wheat by-products, Soya Meal, Peas, Lupins, Meat & Bone Meal, Blood Meal, Lime, Tallow, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Vitamins, Minerals

Contains a coccidiostat
Contains ruminant proteins
 
The chick starter does not have enough protein, vitamins, & amino acids that poults need.
https://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/5

Chickens:
https://www.nap.edu/read/2114/chapter/4
Thanks,

Yes I'm aware of the protein disparity - the vitamin\amino acid was more my concern. Are there any means if boosting\supplementing these out?

I was not intending to feed that in its current form by any means, but was looking for what could be cut in to make it more suitable to finish off the last 10kg or so that's left if that's feasible.
 
Thanks,

Yes I'm aware of the protein disparity - the vitamin\amino acid was more my concern. Are there any means if boosting\supplementing these out?

I was not intending to feed that in its current form by any means, but was looking for what could be cut in to make it more suitable to finish off the last 10kg or so that's left if that's feasible.
I don't know if there is a supplement that you could add to get to the correct levels. Maybe Rooster Booster?
 
Thanks,

Yes I'm aware of the protein disparity - the vitamin\amino acid was more my concern. Are there any means if boosting\supplementing these out?

I was not intending to feed that in its current form by any means, but was looking for what could be cut in to make it more suitable to finish off the last 10kg or so that's left if that's feasible.
If you want to use up the chick starter, feed it to the chicks until it is gone. Chick starter is deficient in protein, lysine, methionine and B vitamins such as niacin and thiamine when looked at as a poult feed.
 
Geeze, I found someone that does make a turkey starter in NZ and it only has 22% protein... Not trusting them, that's for sure.

My husband may shoot me down on this anyway. We're buying a farm and he very much doesn't want me to start adding animals right away XD.
 
Geeze, I found someone that does make a turkey starter in NZ and it only has 22% protein... Not trusting them, that's for sure.

My husband may shoot me down on this anyway. We're buying a farm and he very much doesn't want me to start adding animals right away XD.
The protein isn't as important as the lysine, methionine and niacin levels. At 22% protein it sounds more like turkey grower than turkey starter.
 
If you want to use up the chick starter, feed it to the chicks until it is gone. Chick starter is deficient in protein, lysine, methionine and B vitamins such as niacin and thiamine when looked at as a poult feed.
They've already self-integrated at 4 weeks old and have already figured out how to work the treadle feeder, but haven't realised there's food inside. May need to switch to a grower very soon for all of them and I just bought a new bag of layer too....

I guess that's it.. I just have to buy more chickens 🤣

I just really want an excuse to get turkey as I haven't had a proper roast in like 6 years... No deli meats, turkey legs, nothing... The turkey drought makes me sad and supermarket birds run some $100-200 and aren't much bigger than a full size meat chook. It's depressing.
 
The protein isn't as important as the lysine, methionine and niacin levels. At 22% protein it sounds more like turkey grower than turkey starter.
Yeah, it's listed as a starter, which is why I was shocked. Prolly producers trying to be cheap. Doesn't even break down the amino acids in detail. Gamebird seems the safer option, or even quail starter?

Was looking at the amino acids in soybean meal and that would help balance out some of the above, but not the niacin.
 
Geeze, looks like all the products in NZ are lacking. NRM says give Poults their meat bird crumble (20% protein) till 4 weeks then transition over to pullet grower of all things. No wonder turkeys in NZ are so tiny... They don't know what they're doing!
 

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