New to turkeys with questions

[keyt1969]

This is our first year keeping turkeys. We have 10 BBB and 3 BR. So far everything has been great! 10 are 4 months old and 3 are 3 months old.



All but the BR will be used for meat so I'm wondering, what is the best to feed them to fatten them up and at what age do we start fattening them up more?


Do the males have longer tails? What are some other ways to sex them? This is one I've wondered if it was a male.


At what age do the males fan out? After a year old? I'd love to see these guys fan out but I have a feeling they will be dressed out before then. Although I might be keeping all 3 BR.

Any other advice?

 

[Smarcebird]

This is my first year with the turkeys too. Not sure about the fattening up, but our BR was fanning out and puffing up at about 7 weeks. Super cute!!

 

[wsmith]

Also new to Turkey's this year. We have two Narragensetts, a Jake and Jenny. Awesome birds. They are eating the same as the chickens, plus all the bugs they can find and catch. Growing very nicely.

 

[Barred Rock Man]

Turkeys should not be fed less then 16% protein, including forage. For fattening eating birds, 21% to 28% protein feed should be used. If you want to really fatten the BBBs, have a light on 24/7, and feed them 28% fed right up to butcher time. The Bourbon Reds can be fed less protein (especially if they are going to be breeders or pets) and go without full-time lighting, but do not let their feed protein drop below 16%.

 

[PekinBantam]

One way to tell if it's male or female is the comb, the longer and redder it is, the more likely it is to be a male...

 

[chicken pickin]

i would judge by the snood. Males snood will grow longer and redder. And turkeys can dispaly early. Mine did it for the first time at 6 1/2 or 7 weeks.

 

[TV]

Turkeys often start strutting within days of hatching and both sexes will strut. Watch the head and snood development, the toms will be larger and more red. Look for hens to develop white or light edges on the breast feathers as they get older, toms breast feathers will remain dark or have a darker edge. Listen for attempts to gobble. Only the toms will gobble.

 

[Chambertin]

My Tom's snood was much redder and easy to distinguish anytime they got nervous at about 2 months, now its clearly getting the droopy ruffles you'd expect on a male.
Then the tail gets much longer and I can see some other colors coming in on the feathertips.

 

[muddychicken2]

I had 4 turkeys 2 toms and 2 hens one tom would get really mad at me when i picked up another bird he would turn his head dark red and peck the other bird that i was holding he strutted for me at a few days of age.