Feed consumption?

[Bettacreek]

I'm picking up two poults from the feed store on the 15th. I have absolutely no idea about turkeys, but have some local resources (in fact, live with a guy who used to raise turkeys). I have a source for 27% protein, unmedicated feed crumbles. I was thinking about grabbing my kiddie pool and putting them in that. Can I house ducklings with turkeys? I've heard of not being able to put them with chickens because of blackhead. I just want to raise two good birds for ground turkey at the cheapest price and as easy as possible. I'd like to keep them caged, because of the predators and because of free-ranging chickens and space issues. Anyways, I'll be providing the sole diet of the birds, so I'm wondering, how much feed does a turkey go through from being a day old until they're old enough to slaughter. I have no idea what breeds I'll be getting, it's just an assortment from the hatchery (non-rare breeds). I can't even get onto the site to see the breeds that they offer (it's from Privett).

 

[cashela]

I'm still new to turkeys but I can tell you that the two BBW's that I had ate ravenously.

 

[Bettacreek]

Do you know about how much feed you went through?

I'm probably not going to like the feed bill.

 

[cashela]

No not really. I limited them because mine were pets. I'd bring out half a quart of pellets and the two would eat them in no time and be looking for more. They would just eat and eat.

 

[turkey guru]

do not put poults on slick floors like the bottom of a pool, turkey poults will spradle leg very fast on slick surface!! with all turkey never slick surface use bedding of some kind! won't be long for them to jump out of that pool and they don't swim well good luck tom!

 

[Bettacreek]

I was planning on putting newspapers down. I assumed that they'd be like anything else, where you need a non-slip surface for the first week, then newpaper would be fine after that. I was also hoping to raise the sides with cardboard, wire or something. I definately don't want them swimming, lol. I was going to use a waterer or pan with wire on it to prevent anybody from getting into it. Is there anything else that I need to know? I've only ever raised chickens and quail, and ducks long, LONG ago (so much so that I don't remember anything really, lol).

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

so Tom!!, how much does a turkey eat, from baby through Thanksgiving? prefer the answer in pounds... divided if other than straight feed... like "20 lbs of apples, 9,000 lbs of turkey food, 4 pounds of grasshopers..." etc. thanks!

 

[Bettacreek]

Mine come in two days. I really should weigh out ALL of the feed that each of my species eats. I know that my buttons eat a pound a week (8 birds), my coturnix were going through 2lbs every three days (7 birds) and my rabbits hit about a pound a day in pellets (four rabbits). I just do a "feed trial" every once in awhile, where I weigh a pound or two out and see how fast it takes to go through it. I usually do a few "sets" to make sure that I get an accurate result. I've never done one from start to "finish" for a set number of birds though. Two turkeys shouldn't be too much of a pain to keep track of, but two wouldn't give me a very accurate result.

 

[turkey guru]

8 lbs of feed to 1 lb of live weight,butcher loss of 40%, these organic birds bring between 3.50 and 9 dollars a pound dressed! (oven ready) then I sold the turkey heads to a taxidermist 45 bucks each, hunters ruin most of the heads,so in order to stuff there trophy they need a head!!! tom!!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

So a 20 pound bird (with all his feathers and guts and stuff) has eaten 8 pounds of food per pound of turkey... so 160 pounds of food? so 3 50lb bags each... so Organic feed wise ($25 per 50lb bag), $75 per bird for food... huh. that kind of stinks. good to know.