Do you "free choice" or limit feeding for turkey's you're raising for meat?

[chicks and hens2]

I have five 11 week old BBB turkeys that are in a run with a little grass and have a hoop coop that is just sand on the floor. The grass was newly planted before putting them on it (as well as some chicks,which probably destroyed some of it) and there isn't a lot of grass left so I was going to move their hoop coop "Tractor" to a fully grassed area. I was wondering what some of you do for feeding. Do you strictly free choice all day or somewhat limit the feed. The male poult's are already looking huge and I don't want to process them until Thanksgiving. Would it hurt to limit their feed or will they become "cannabalistic" if they think they're hungry?They do eat the grass they can reach through their fenced in enclosure too. Right now I fill a 12 pound feeder half to 3/4's full in the morning and have to fill it again before they are put away for the night. They just started really guzzling the food more this week. They also eat grit like it's candy. Do they need that much grit or do they just like it?Some books say they only need grit every few days is this true for turkey's or more so for chickens? I have always had grit free choice for all my poultry but the turkeys can go through a 5# bag in a week or less
Their feed has some whole grains in it.It is a turkey grower ration that is 22% protein. Up until about 2 weeks ago they always got extra protein in the form of sunflower hearts and dried meal worms.
Any suggestions, comments, about the protein level or continuing with free choice or limiting their feed portions???

 

[kuntrygirl]

My turkeys have unlimited feed every day. I do not limit any feeding. They get high protein feed. Oyster shell and grit is available 24/7. My poults start out with 30% protein crumble.

Why would you want to limit their feed?

 

[chicks and hens2]

My turkeys have unlimited feed every day. I do not limit any feeding. They get high protein feed. Oyster shell and grit is available 24/7. My poults start out with 30% protein crumble.

Why would you want to limit their feed?

The only reason I asked is because they are getting big so fast and I don't want to have to put them in the freezer in September, I want to eat them "fresh" not frozen and I don't really want 40 # birds in the oven in November and I had planned on keeping some alive until Christmas and possibly New Years. Some have said they raise their BBB for 5-6 months and others 8-9 months. 5-6 months is too soon for me to process them. How long to you generally raise yours. My Eastern Wild 's hardly eat any feed but they are slow growers and I don't intend on processing any of them til next year

 

[junkprospector]

mmmm - great question. i'm beginning to wonder the same thing about my BBB. He eats like he has NEVER been fed before in his life!!! i got him in early march and he's maybe 15 Lbs already. I don't really care if he is humongous though by thanksgiving. Once processed maybe i'll just have half for thanksgiving (fresh) and the other half for Christmas (frozen). i do need to weigh him - maybe i'll make a weighing harness tonight!

 

[Iggys Acres]

BBB are designed to eat alot and gain weight fast, like a cornish x rock chicken. A tom at 20 weeks, should be a 20# dressed carcass bird, which will take up almost your whole oven (holy cow my first year butching/cooking, but it was good) and it will get alittle bigger if left. You can pray to the gender fairy for girls, turkey hens top about 10 pounds less than toms. If you don't want a huge bird, by day old BBB poults around May-June for Thanksgiving, or butcher early. Limiting feed won't stall growth, if anything it may impact how much meat is on their bones, a hungry turkey doesn't grown breast meat (learned this the hard way when one was bullied off feed for a period of time). BBB aren't know for there foraging skills either, they prefer to sit by the feeder all day if they have there way, try to put the feed in one corner and water in another so they walk around, or better a couple different feed spots. I did boubon reds last year and was happier with a slower growing bird that foraged much better. A friend raised a spanish black and they are a slightly smaller turkey to begin with. If you really want petite, the midget white dresses out at like 12-15 pounds if I understand it correct, and thats raising them to 24 weeks or more, but I never raised one. Hope this helps and good luck with your birds, invite a bunch of family and friends for Thanksgiving and just worry about where you want to cook your sides!