Finishing Turkeys...Need to fatten them up!

[Schultz]

Ok, this is our first official year with production turkeys (BBB). They have been growing great until the past 2weeks, they seem to have slowed way down. I had "planned" on butchering this weekend (11 weeks) but they are just not big enough. Is there any advice on how to get them to finishing weight really quick? They are on a 27% protein diet right now. Thanks in advance!

 

[RedfogsFlock]

wow I thought BBB's were for egg production mainly. I know you can eat them but thought they didn't get as big as the WBB's. I guess you learn something new everyday. I have both BBB, and WBB.

 

[Schultz]

Anyone else?

 

[OmaBird]

Normaly you fatten them with corn. I found this just makes a thick fat layer of skin and risk other problems like leg and even death. Corn also increases the Omega 6 that is aready high in our food.

 

[Schultz]

Would scratch be better?

 

[pdpatch]

Generally for the best feed to weight ratio for Great whites and Big Breasted Bronze are butchered at around 20 weeks. From the 11 weeks to 20 plus weeks there breast get larger and they do gain weight. The earliest we have ever done a BBW was at 15 weeks and she was around 12 pounds finished. You don't want to make them grow to fast or they will have internal organ problems and just drop over dead.

Most of the BBB and GW we have had in the past never really cared for any corn, they did like some bird seed that is in fancy scratch. BBB and GW didn't like to change what they had been eating. They would rather have the store bought feed, we feed them 22% starter/grower ration the entire time we had them and butcher at 18 week the largest was at around 18 pound dressed

 

[OmaBird]

At 11 weeks I would be feeding a grow ration, not a starter. I would not even be thinking about a fattner until at least 18 to 20 weeks old.