I'm still a little confused

[boxermom]

I have 6 4mo old BR poults that live w/ my almost 20 wk old pullets. I feed the 26% game bird feed and the chick developer. They all eat both. I will need to change to layer feed pretty soon. I've read the calcium is too much for the turks. If I use oyster shell instead of layer feed, will that help? If so, what do I use for chicken feed? Developer? I would like to try pellet food, because they are wasting so much. I also free range as much as possible, but in winter, I'm sure they will spend their time in the barn. Am I making this more difficult than it needs to be?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

You don't want to feed your poults layer yet, you are correct that is to much calcium for them. Oyster shell is also a source of calcium. The best thing to do is seperate them out if you can - that way you can go to layer on the pullets and keep the turkeys on the higher protien.

Steve

 

[boxermom]

How long will I need to keep them seperate? They are all used to going where they want when they free range. Could I set up a feeding schedule and feed at a specific time rather than leaving the food out all the time? (works for dogs

)

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Ours are anywhere from 5 to 6 months old when they go out with the rest of the flock, at that point they range and have free choice layer.

Steve

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

How long will I need to keep them seperate? They are all used to going where they want when they free range. Could I set up a feeding schedule and feed at a specific time rather than leaving the food out all the time? (works for dogs smile )

We feed ours only in the AM @ 1/2 lb a bird (27%) and they are free ranging 24/7. We put ours out on pasture when they are about 8-10 weeks old and the lock them up every night till they around 14-16 weeks or so and then they are moved over to the grow out area with the rest and they are only fed once a day in the AM and they sleep in the trees or where ever they want and do just fine. We loose very few a year to anything. So far this year we have lost 2.​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
We feed ours only in the AM @ 1/2 lb a bird (27%) and they are free ranging 24/7. We put ours out on pasture when they are about 8-10 weeks old and the lock them up every night till they around 14-16 weeks or so and then they are moved over to the grow out area with the rest and they are only fed once a day in the AM and they sleep in the trees or where ever they want and do just fine. We loose very few a year to anything. So far this year we have lost 2.

How can you tell each bird gets a 1/2 pound? and you only feed in the AM? How does that work for your max weight gain in the shortest period of time? Do you have any pics of all these poults out on the range at 8 to 10 weeks? That would really help us see how you contain them and how much room they have to range. people often ask those very same questions.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

Quote:
Geez Steve you sure ask alot of questions and demands of others but you never answer any questions asked of you ??

Well I pour out a 50 lb bag each morning and if I have 100 out there then they would have the chance to get 1/2lb each day or so. The younger ones don't eat as much as the older ones.

Yes I only feed in the AM, it works great for me. Plus we don't look for a max weight gain in the shortest time period. We only look for the standard weights.

Yes here is a few pics of some poults on the ground. I don't contain the young ones. They have about 1.5 acres to roam on, but they don't use hardly any of it. i oly have about 25 or so 8-10 weekers on the ground right now, but I do have about 40 or so more ready to come out here in the next week or so.

 

[boxermom]

Thanks, Steve and Harp. You both have so much info to share. Thank you for that. I have learned soooo much.

My poults can range on 6+ acres, but seem to hang around where the chickens are. At night, they are locked up in the barn with the chickens. They usually put themselves to bed and I or DH close them up. They haven't shown any interest in trees yet. although they found the deck railing yesterday.

Hopefully they will want to go in every night as our winters can get pretty ugly. Last year was the worst I can remember, and they are saying this winter is supposed to be even worse. Ugh. They eat what they want, usually the chicken feed. They don't seem to like the turkey feed much. I've had 2 different brands. We did a spot check weigh last week and the bigger Tom was @ 11.5 #. They were hatched the middle of May. I think he's right on weight wise. Right?

Again, thanks for all your info. We novices really appreciate your patience with our silly and sometimes redundant questions.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

That's one of the things we are lucky here, our winters are very mild. upper teens are considered very cold and single digits are front page news. So ours stay out year round. I wish they would go in sometimes but you have to force them in.

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

My poults can range on 6+ acres, but seem to hang around where the chickens are.

Yup that is why we figured we would just let them play in our yard so they can be close to the house and they don't use all of our yard so. Now when they get older they will be all over the 6 acres of yours. As adults they would destroy the 1 acre or so they are on when they are young here​