Game bird feeds

[Luv2bpresent]

I recently inherited a bunch of purina game bird maintenance chow 12.5% protein. I'm going to feed it to my adult waterfowl but was wondering if I can also feed it to my fully mature turkeys and adults after breeding season? is this enough protein/right nutrients to feed by itself? Should I add some scratch too?

 

[frank53061]

That protein level is low for Turkeys unless you can bump that up some how.
Some of the people here have told me that laying pellets at 17% is low for adult Red Bourbons and needed to subsidies with more protein.
I know from the free ranging during the summer months there getting insects and other to help and I will add more protein in the winter.
They do get other scraps from the table and there Sunday biscuits and my Turkeys are fat and happy.
The Double breasted may at all times need even more protein I don't know since I have never had any.
Some one that has knowledge of that breed may be able to help.
I fed my Poults game starter till 10 weeks.
I think by the way my Turkeys are growing they need that extra food because dang they are getting big picking up one of my over 4 month old Toms you would think he s got led in his butt LOL.
You could alway mix that with game bird feed with a higer protein level.
There are people her that may tell you a full grown adult Turkey may not need the higher protein due to there growing time is over this maybe true I dont know.
Best of luck.

 

[Tony K T]

Turkeys need to be fed a turkey gamebird feed.There is a medication in the feed for blackhead which turkeys and peafowl are suseptable to.Emtryl is in the turkey feed at a suppressive level to prevent a sudden outbreak.Blackhead can kill pheasants,so keep them seperate.It is caused by the caecal worm.If your birds have it,treat them with dimetridazole and keep them on the gamebird turkey feed.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[frank53061]

That's a great suggestion but what if there is no black head in that area if there is then that's what needs to be done.
I understand there are areas that have black head but more so do not.
I live in one of the biggest Chicken producing areas in the United Stated Tyson's head quarters and there is very little problems with black head unless its brought in from infected birds.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I dont use medicated feeds with my birds. The town I live in is "chicken country" lol noone has had prob with black head. I feed my chickens and turkeys a mixture of 18%starter/grower and 20% gamebird. I mix it in a tub together and feed them all the same mix. (my birds are all still young since I lost my 3 yr old flock to predators) They are doing great on it and all my birds have done great on it and my dad and gpa fed this way too.

 

[Tony K T]

I guess the amount is so low in the feed that your birds will not get blackhead.The feed does not treat blackhead,the dimetridazole does if they have blackhead.The feed is a preventative to them getting blackhead.Yes if you do not have blackhead in your flock and you introduce new birds to your flock that have blackhead,that's where it all starts.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

very true!!!

 

[Oregon Blues]

12% is really low for turkeys. It would be better to mix it with a high protein food to up the protein. Scratch won't do it as there isn't much protein in scratch.

12% for the waterfowl might be OK if they are not laying and if it is not freezing cold. It's low for the waterfowl, also. but probably won't kill them if you don't make it their full time feed forever.

Are you sure you read that label correctly? I'm surprised Purina makes anything for game birds at a 12% protein level.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I also have seen this and decided not to buy it,, My birds do not like purina and I would rather buy local from my feed store, but I am surprised they make a gamebird feed so low in protein

 

[Luv2bpresent]

I'm going to mix it with Tucker's 19% grower feed to bring up the protein a bit. They're all adult, not laying right now, and I'm below the snow line (thank goodness!) so I think if I can take it up to 15-16% protein they'll be fine till it's gone. Afterall, the layer feed they were on was only 16%
Yea, I was surprised at the low protein too. Don't get it, but not impressed with purina as a whole anyway. Marketing marketing marketing is what it's all about and they've got it down to a science. I'm totally sold on Tucker's, but hey, I have the purina stuff so I have to use it! No medications for me either. I wein all my turkeys off of it by the time they're 10 weeks old. We've never had a case of blackhead, but then again, I never bring in a poult, chick, or otherwise older than a couple of days. I take that back, I did buy a ton of adult waterfowl from holderread, but figured I was going to a reliable source there. Beautiful! Thank you for all your comments. So much appreciated!