Pet turkey questions

[MAchicken105]

I’m a long time chicken owner but never had a pet turkey so I’m hoping for some advice.

Currently I have 6 Bantams in a 12x12 7 ft tall covered run with an attached 4x8 coop(that they only lay eggs in, they prefer to sleep in the rafters in their run).

I’m getting 4 straight run Narraganset turkey poults in a few weeks. My plan is to add them to the flock when they are big enough and fully feathered of course and they can live with the chickens until they are big enough to free range. I plan on adding a low perch for them to perch permanently in the covered run but free range during the day(I cover the run sides in the winter, still keeping it ventilated). I also only plan on keeping two turkeys and rehoming the other two.

so as adults they would free range all day and go in the run at night. It’s very secure with a built shingled roof and underground wire


so my questions are;

Is this a sustainable set up for two turkeys?

I definitely want one male, should his buddy be a female or are two males a better idea? These will be strictly pets.

What do turkey poults eat? Game bird feed? What do they eat as adults?

do they dig up your gardens like chickens?

Any other turkey keeping tips?

 

[neo71665]

Turkeys are large birds. I don't think your coop or run is near big enough. We free ranged when we had them so I'll let an expert chime in. Been out of the turkey game for about 20 years

Personally I'm not a fan of multi male flocks of any breed of bird. I know some do it and do it fine with chickens and ducks but I still suggest against it.

Turkeys need lots and lots of protein, much more than chickens

yes even bigger holes

We had a flock of about 20 and each and every one had their own personality. Even more so than any of flock of chickens I've ever had did.

 

[MAchicken105]

Turkeys are large birds. I don't think your coop or run is near big enough. We free ranged when we had them so I'll let an expert chime in. Been out of the turkey game for about 20 years

Personally I'm not a fan of multi male flocks of any breed of bird. I know some do it and do it fine with chickens and ducks but I still suggested against it.

Turkeys need lots and lots of protein, much more than chickens

yes even bigger holes

We had a flock of about 20 and each and every one had their own personality. Even more so than any of flock of chickens I've ever had did.

They would only be in the run as chicks and as adults just to sleep.

 

[Isadora]

If you don't care about fertilized eggs, I would suggest keeping two females. I had a pair of turkeys as a kid because I was interested in hatching some eggs. The male got very protective of the female and would attack me at every opportunity. I'm sure you could find a sweet tom out there, I just didn't have that luck.

 

[yesterDAYNE]

If you have to have a tom and only want 2 turkeys, I would think it would be better to go with another tom ONLY if they are not raised with any other baby poultry. If there are no females they might not be as willing to tear each other up, but I'm sure they'll still fight during mating season. I would personally suggest 2 hens, 3 ideally. Make sure there is no blackhead in your area. Housing them with bantams can be a risk, especially if there isnt enough area for them to all separate into their own corners.

Poults need 28-30% gamebird starter for at least around the first 6wks of life. if I remember correctly

They love digging, especially to make dust bathes, like chickens.

As a pet turkey owner, if you are going to get toms, I would avoid imprinting. I love my tom dearly, but he is an absolute pest who is only slightly respectful enough to back off when I give him a "Hey!". His brother did not care and would constantly bump and push on me and start fights with his brother. Both of them started fighting my mom.

I've been lucky with imprinted hens, only 2 of them have ever submitted to me (one lays down if I grab her and pull her to me, the other one will just stand stiffly by me and push on me like shes waiting for me to court her) and the other 2, 1 hangs out around me but is not interested in submitting, and the other one is hateful towards me and wants to fight me for my flock rank, but is too cowardly to actually start anything. I would still be careful with imprinting hens too, I may have just gotten lucky with the 4 hens I imprinted.

 

[R2elk]

I’m a long time chicken owner but never had a pet turkey so I’m hoping for some advice.

Currently I have 6 Bantams in a 12x12 7 ft tall covered run with an attached 4x8 coop(that they only lay eggs in, they prefer to sleep in the rafters in their run).

I’m getting 4 straight run Narraganset turkey poults in a few weeks. My plan is to add them to the flock when they are big enough and fully feathered of course and they can live with the chickens until they are big enough to free range. I plan on adding a low perch for them to perch permanently in the covered run but free range during the day(I cover the run sides in the winter, still keeping it ventilated). I also only plan on keeping two turkeys and rehoming the other two.

so as adults they would free range all day and go in the run at night. It’s very secure with a built shingled roof and underground wire


so my questions are;

Is this a sustainable set up for two turkeys?

I definitely want one male, should his buddy be a female or are two males a better idea? These will be strictly pets.

What do turkey poults eat? Game bird feed? What do they eat as adults?

do they dig up your gardens like chickens?

Any other turkey keeping tips?

Turkeys need a lot more room than the size of your run.

If keeping one male, I recommend also keeping multiple hens to make life easier for the hens.

Turkey poults need a proper high protein turkey or game bird starter for the first 6 to 8 weeks. After that they can go on a turkey or game bird grower (usually 24% protein) for the next six weeks. AT 3 to 3 1/2 months old they can go on a quality adult feed. It can be chicken feed if it is a good one but I feed all my adult poultry a 20% protein all flock feed.

Turkeys will not tear up a place like chickens do but when they dig dust baths, they can be craters.

 

[MAchicken105]

If you have to have a tom and only want 2 turkeys, I would think it would be better to go with another tom ONLY if they are not raised with any other baby poultry. If there are no females they might not be as willing to tear each other up, but I'm sure they'll still fight during mating season. I would personally suggest 2 hens, 3 ideally. Make sure there is no blackhead in your area. Housing them with bantams can be a risk, especially if there isnt enough area for them to all separate into their own corners.

Poults need 28-30% gamebird starter for at least around the first 6wks of life. if I remember correctly

They love digging, especially to make dust bathes, like chickens.

As a pet turkey owner, if you are going to get toms, I would avoid imprinting. I love my tom dearly, but he is an absolute pest who is only slightly respectful enough to back off when I give him a "Hey!". His brother did not care and would constantly bump and push on me and start fights with his brother. Both of them started fighting my mom.

I've been lucky with imprinted hens, only 2 of them have ever submitted to me (one lays down if I grab her and pull her to me, the other one will just stand stiffly by me and push on me like shes waiting for me to court her) and the other 2, 1 hangs out around me but is not interested in submitting, and the other one is hateful towards me and wants to fight me for my flock rank, but is too cowardly to actually start anything. I would still be careful with imprinting hens too, I may have just gotten lucky with the 4 hens I imprinted.

Thank you for this, very helpful.

 

[MAchicken105]

Turkeys need a lot more room than the size of your run.

If keeping one male, I recommend also keeping multiple hens to make life easier for the hens.

Turkey poults need a proper high protein turkey or game bird starter for the first 6 to 8 weeks. After that they can go on a turkey or game bird grower (usually 24% protein) for the next six weeks. AT 3 to 3 1/2 months old they can go on a quality adult feed. It can be chicken feed if it is a good one but I feed all my adult poultry a 20% protein all flock feed.

Turkeys will not tear up a place like chickens do but when they dig dust baths, they can be craters.

As I mentioned, the turkeys would only be in the run to sleep once they are large enough to free range. I have no intention of keeping them in the run, just as chicks so they learn that’s their home.

 

[R2elk]

As I mentioned, the turkeys would only be in the run to sleep once they are large enough to free range. I have no intention of keeping them in the run, just as chicks so they learn that’s their home.

As I said, it is too small of an area for adult turkeys.

 

[MAchicken105]

As I said, it is too small of an area for adult turkeys.

12x12? To sleep in?!?!