New turkey mom questions

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I'd stick with the gamebird feed, but chicks can have it too until they are close to laying eggs.

At 4 weeks old, turkey poults should still be on a high protein turkey or gamebird starter. Your all flock does not have the proper levels of protein, lysine, methionine or niacin they should be getting.

A high protein (28-30%) turkey or gamebird starter is recommended for the first 6 to 8 weeks followed by 6 weeks on a turkey or gamebird grower (24% protein) and then you can switch to a 20% protein all flock feed.

I wasn't fair to say that I feed an over the counter All Flock. We have a bulk mix with a 18% protein of ground corn and soybean meal with a poultry conditioner added. So we have all those good levels of vitamins and such.

 

[mraab]

All three of them were up and going this morning. Food and water are disappearing regularly, and my local feed store carries a good game bird crumble.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

That's great news!

 

[mraab]

Got flight feathers trimmed today in anticipation of time outside tomorrow. Plus, I dragged the chain link panels back to the meadow so I can start on their pen.

My current chicken coop is a Fort Knox of chicken keeping. *Nothing* is getting in there.

However, I have since surrounded my poultry yard with an electric fence. Do the turkeys need a Fort Knox one? Or will a simpler one do since they have an extra layer of protection from the fence?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Predators have left my turkeys alone until this year where an owl killed two hens that were sitting on eggs at the end of the run that wasn't covered. It all depends on how you feel about your birds. Most predators don't mess with turkeys, but it's always possible.

 

[mraab]

Sooooooo...are turkeys smart enough to figure out horizontal chicken nipples for water? My chicks figured it out quickly, but the turkeys are completely ignoring them. I really, REALLY want them using a closed waterer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sooooooo...are turkeys smart enough to figure out horizontal chicken nipples for water? My chicks figured it out quickly, but the turkeys are completely ignoring them. I really, REALLY want them using a closed waterer.

You will have to teach them repeatedly. I've never used them myself.

 

[mraab]

I got them moved out to a pen in a shady corner of the chicken meadow. I pulled the open water dish out and just let the closed container in there. I’ve been holding their beaks in the nipples periodically throughout the day. I really, REALLY want this to work. Open waterers are such a pain!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't mind dumping and filling pans and buckets. Definitely update if they catch on to it.

 

[mraab]

Welp. I hand watered them half a dozen times today. Pecan did pretty well, and I think will pick it up. Tater did only ok. Stuffing flatly refused to open his beak at all.

I’ll try again tomorrow.