How much feed is enough???

[BarneyChick97]

I have 3 bronze turkeys. They are approximately 4 months old. We seem to go through a 50LB bag of Flock Raiser every 2 weeks or so! We had 4 turkeys last year, and it seemed to be about the same! They are for meat. Last year, we didn't free range our turkeys until they were about the same age (4 months), and they ended up being 42,39,30,and 22.5#'s!! Umm...I'm not really looking for getting another 135LBS of meat from turkeys (we had to cut 2 of them in HALF to fit them in our oven)......is there a rule/measurement to feed them? They are hens, and they seem to be bottomless pits!! They'll eat anyone's food that is out. I've been letting them only eat feed in the morning, for a few hours, whatever they want, and then I don't give them anything else all day. After that, they free range. They've been free ranging for as long as they've been bigger than a chicken......and it doesn't seem to help much with the feed?

Opinions??????

thanks.

 

[chicken pickin]

Hmmm... I dont have any feeding tips(this is my first time raising turkeys) but from what Ive read BB turkeys should only go through roughly 80lbs of feed each in their short lifespan. Mine seem to be following that so far. I have 2 that are 2 1/2 months old and they have gone through 1 50 lb bag so far and just started on their second bag. They share a quart of turkey grower pellets a day and they pick at it all day and by bedtime there is just enough left on the bottom for them to pick at come morn til I let them out of their house. Soon I will up the amount just a little. We do not free range them but they have and outside pen and we bring them grass and other greens.

What age did you process last year?
I wonder if when they start eatting like "bottomless pits" if it is about time to process?

 

[Frosty]

If we don't have a family of foxes hanging out or something, I usually turn them loose when they are about the size of a large chicken. Then for most of the summer I feed them about once a week to remind them that they live here, other than that they are on their own for food. For the last few weeks I lock them up and feed them grain and apples. I keep an eye on them when they are loose to make sure they feel like they are getting adequate feed. I process them whn they are around 6 months old and weights are between 12 and 25 (lower end is the smaller hens, high end is the biggerst toms. Avg is 15 - 17 pounds). I think this year I'll have to set up the electric poultry netting, I have new neighbors who don't seem to believe in confining their dogs.

 

[BarneyChick97]

Last year, when we processed them, they were about 7 1/2 months of age. The 2 "alpha" turkeys (who fought the most----we bought 2 sets of chicks, at 2 different times---I don't recommend doing that EVER again), were the HUGE ones. I was mistaken when I had mentioned it before...the largest turkey (who was actually a white turkey--I guess they are the true "meat" turkey's), was 44LBS after processing. The other was a bronze-and was 39. Last year I let them roam our entire fenced yard, but there was SO much poop everywhere I just couldn't stand it. Our turkeys last year also were kept inside their coop for the most part, which, made for a real disgusting coop

....they had food in there at all times. I'd swear that they were NEVER full. This years turkeys are about 4 1/2 mons old, and they are PIGS!!! They will fight a chicken to get their share of anything! Even if it isn't theirs. 80LBS of feed seems like a lot of food. And by their sizes right now, I'd say, they could "GO" now. I think they'd be well into the 20LB range, and I ONLY have hens! I don't know if there is a rule of when you are supposed to process them? These turkeys haven't even "gobbled" yet, and they don't have their beards either. Last year, our turkeys had small beards, and gobbled....a lot. I think I noticed them being "bottomless pits" maybe in the last month or so? Maybe it's just me being sensitive to the fact that they are pushy and RUDE when it comes to eating??? I don't know. They shouldn't want to do that after they've pigged out though.

 

[chicken pickin]

I think the broad breasted usually get processed between 20-24weeks of age. That is when I plan to process mine. We have a tom and a hen. From what Ive learned I believe only toms gobble. My tom now at about 11 weeks looks to be about 15lbs and the hen prob half that at about 8-9lbs but thats just a guess by looking at them. I dont think I would personally go beyond 24 weeks but this is my first time so we will see when we get to tat point.