Breeder Rations

[sashacat]

Any ideas on what to feed turkeys for the breeding season? Not too many places carry feed specific to turkeys, much less breeder rations. Do you use supplements or maybe mix chick feed with layer feed to up the protein or??? I see Kent offers some specialty stuff with their Blue Seal line, not sure we can get it here, tho. We are in SE Wisconsin. And then what do you offer the poults? Regular chick feed?

 

[mamawolf544]

I give mine game bird crumbles, as most do not carry turkey feed here. It is high in protein.

I also give sprouts and meal worms a couple of times a week.

 

[sandspoultry]

We feed the breeders a custom mix 20% protien layer mash from a local feed mill. For the poults we feed a 28% medicated game bird starter from Southern States feed stores. Also, we hard boil any extra eggs that we have and crush them up shell and all and feed them back to the birds.

 

[Arielle]

I am glad you asked this question-- I have been looking for information too.

S and S you said layer-- I assume more Calcium than the standard 1.5 %, more like chicken layer at 3.25%??



OP-- poults MUST have higher protein feed than chicks. THey grow much faster. I feed 22% because that is the highest I can get easily. about $17 a bag.

 

[sashacat]

I found some Kent Blue Seal feed around here that has 27% protein for the game bird chicks. (Poultry 27)(suggested for turkeys, ducks and geese) $15/50lbs.

They suggested the Home Fresh Finish($16.22/50lbs) for the breeders right now, 18% protein, and I will put out a calcium source for them. Plus they do get a little scratch.
They said to fatten for meat to use the Poultry 27 half and half with corn. Still not exactly sure what to feed my "keepers" the rest of the year.

 

[sashacat]

I realize that the sponsors here are Nutrena and mannaPro, these are not easily available in SE Wisconsin where we live.
Is there a site somewhere that compares the major brands? We don't have enough birds to have a custom grind, so Have to go with bagged stuff at the moment.

 

[Lagerdogger]

We are able to get a gamebird layer. I don't have any around the place right now, but if my memory is correct, it has a little more protein than our chicken layer and a little less calcium as well. The protein levels were very similar...I think 17% in the gamebird and 16% in teh chicken. And I think (almost guessing here) that the calcium is around 3% in the chicken layer and aroun 1.7% in the gamebird layer.

My guess is you could get buy with chicken layer. We can get 16% layer and 18% layer from Heins. I think the 18% chicken layer would work just fine, unless there are health problems associated with the excess calcium that I don't know about. To be safe, I use the gamebird layer from Sprout.

 

[Arielle]

To complicate this dicsusion further this is what I think about-- I have no data to suport it , or deny it. SO welcome input.

If chickens are a bird that lays about an egg a day, and weghs about 6 pounds, and a turkey hen is about 28 pounds and lays an egg a day, and that egg is a little larger than a large hen s egg. THis is what I see.

THe amount of caclcium needed per day to build the egg shell is about the same about 10-20%. THe protein and yolk is also larger, Say 25%

THen look at the volume of feed a turkey hen eats in a day versus the chicken hen. IMO a turkey hen can eat the same % calcium, or more likely even less, than a chicken hen and meet her needs in shell development and body support. As for protein, the same thing. THe percent can stay the same because the bird eats a heck of lot more.

Other complications come into play-- does the hen eat enough on a daily basis to meet her needs?? When I watch my girls pass on the extra pellets but stuff their face on whole corn, oats a nd goodies, I can't help but think, how much food would a bird eat if she only had a whole grain based diet??Would she over eat and get too fat? My educated guess is " yes"

Lots of food for thought here. I finally answered my questions.

 

[sandspoultry]

I am glad you asked this question-- I have been looking for information too.

S and S you said layer-- I assume more Calcium than the standard 1.5 %, more like chicken layer at 3.25%??



OP-- poults MUST have higher protein feed than chicks. THey grow much faster. I feed 22% because that is the highest I can get easily. about $17 a bag.

It's their standard chicken layer with just more protien added. We switched feed mills about a year ago and the one we used to use I would have them add calcium because we would get thin shelled eggs from time to time. (one of the reasons we switched mills) The one we are using now we haven't had any problems with the egg shells. We buy in bulk at 2500 pounds per trip and last trip it was $12.30 per 50 pounds for the 20% protien.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I pay for delivery-- that is added into the priceing. Used to be 50 cents a bag a few years ago, it is now 1.50 or 2 a bag.. I can get the price down if I buy 3T bulk--closer to your pricing.