HOW TO FATTEN UP ADULT TURKEYS

[auburnroze]

I am new here, this is my first post. Hope I do this right......lol

I have 8 turkeys that I raised from day old ....I sold them around 3 months ago....they were fat enough to be processed. I was given them back a couple weeks ago and they are beyond thin. The Royal Palm tom died in transport...we chose to butcher him out for the dogs. I was so upset. There was NO meat on this bird. I could put my finger/thumb around his thigh. There was no meat on his breast....it was so depressing knowing how fat i sold him at. These birds were hatched in April I believe. So now I have these birds that I have to pour the food back in them......I wish I had the money I had in them when i sold them......
Anyways.......MY QUESTION: I am feeding them Layer Pellets, Purina Flock Raiser, and bread. Any suggestion on how to fatten them up would be greatly appreciated..

If any one is in WA state.........I would be willing to sell these birds.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sounds like they were starved or otherwise mismanaged.
You're looking for muscle tissue growth, not fat. For that they need protein as well as a balanced ration for fats, vitamins and minerals.
Are the hens laying eggs?
I would cut out the layer pellets, which is likely 16% protein and too high in calcium for birds not making egg shells.
Cut out the bread, too much salt and too low in protein.
I'd stick with just flock raiser since it's 20% protein or maybe even mix in a little game bird starter with it.
Have a fecal sample read for worms.

 

[inioluwa]

Pls I need help I want feed formular for my 20weeks parent stocks turkeys for good production and fertile eggs

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@inioluwa Where do you live and do your breeders free range? Are they heritage breeds or broad breasted?

Heritage breeds need a little different feed than commercial breeds/varieties.
Chicken feed isn't the best for breeder turkeys as they have higher vitamin and mineral requirements.
Here's a good write-up for you.
0-6 week poults need about27% protein and 20% to maturity and breeders about 17% but adequate levels of all amino acids are important, especially lysine and methionine levels which are low in vegetative sources.
http://albc-usa.org/documents/turkeymanual/ALBCturkey-4.pdf

 

[retlaw]

Give them an assortment of feed to choice from so they can use whats best for them.
eg. Whole corn, whole oats, game bird pellets (high protein).

Maybe some chicken eggs.

 

[chknoodles]

And don't forget to include free choice calcium when your girls get close to laying time.

 

[Norton1808]

Give them an assortment of feed to choice from so they can use whats best for them.
eg. Whole corn, whole oats, game bird pellets (high protein).

Maybe some chicken eggs.

Hi, you have suggested chicken eggs, can you feed turkeys, turkey eggs???

 

[TheFarm41]

Wild turkeys live near the woods. They and eat acorns, nuts, fruit, berries, grass, clover, insects etc. - so I figure turkeys will eat what they can find. I'm new to raising turkeys and have been researching what is the best to feed. We do not use commercial feed for any of our farm animals.

We raise our chickens and pigs on organic whole barley, peas and flax seed (that our farmer friend grows), plus all our windfall fruit, and then they free range on our sheep pastures. We only have 2 turkeys, so we put them in with the chickens. They have been eating whatever the chickens eat. We've had the turkeys since July and they are growing like weeds, they are about 8 months now. I have noticed that turkeys do not seem to scratch like the hens, so they may not be eating as many insects. As the weather gets cold and their is less in the pasture we will start feeding some sunflower seed and a little corn that we grow.

Any other ideas on what to feed turkeys to help them grow? They like our walnuts, but we like them too are not willing to share that many walnuts with them.

 

[jimeve]

I have skinny Turkeys too, I'v started to feed them cracked corn to fatten them up but they don't like the corn. Before i was feeding them Developer feeds. Difficult to get the proper feeds over here (Philippines).

 

[HeritageHenNut]

Game bird feed, and I mix mine with cracked corn, rolled barely and BOSS. Started doing that and they fill out nicely. But it takes time to bring birds back after a period of mismanagement.