pet turkey

[Frazzemrat1]

it was the vet who told us to keep him on medicated food and only place anywhere in this part off scotland that has turkey slaughter them all mid December merry christmas

Are you sure that Vet knows what he is doing? Just because a person is a veterinarian doesn't mean they know how to treat all animals. Livestock is a specialty, that typically doesn't include birds; unless the vet included it.

@rjohns39 I know you also breed heritage turkeys. Do you want to chime in on this?

 

[rjohns39]

I don't disagree with @R2elk. The OP clearly wants to keep the bird as a pet—that's a personal choice. As for feed, look for an all flock or chicken feed with 15%-16% protein and 1% calcium. You don't need a medicated feed. And encourage him to exercise by separating the water and feed containers with some distance. For now, I'd treat him like a BB and limit his feed to what he can eat in 30 minutes, and give him that ration morning and evening. I would also recommend finding him a friend if you can. In the meantime, take him for walks and do other social things with him to keep him active.

 

[R2elk]

it was the vet who told us to keep him on medicated food

This is the problem with dealing with people that don't know about turkeys. The only kind of medicated feed they make for turkeys is starter feed and the "medication" it contains is amprolium which is only good against coccidiosis. If your turkey needs treated for coccidiosis, Corid (brand name for amprolium) which can be mixed in the turkey's water is readily available online.

 

[tjmiddlemass]

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I don't disagree with @R2elk. The OP clearly wants to keep the bird as a pet—that's a personal choice. As for feed, look for an all flock or chicken feed with 15%-16% protein and 1% calcium. You don't need a medicated feed. And encourage him to exercise by separating the water and feed containers with some distance. For now, I'd treat him like a BB and limit his feed to what he can eat in 30 minutes, and give him that ration morning and evening. I would also recommend finding him a friend if you can. In the meantime, take him for walks and do other social things with him to keep him active.

thank you, we spend a fair amount of time in the garden as he follows us, will look for female for him

 

[tjmiddlemass]

This is the problem with dealing with people that don't know about turkeys. The only kind of medicated feed they make for turkeys is starter feed and the "medication" it contains is amprolium which is only good against coccidiosis. If your turkey needs treated for coccidiosis, Corid (brand name for amprolium) which can be mixed in the turkey's water is readily available online.

if I knew about turkeys I would never have had to ask advice, and as I've explained before I wouldn't have a pet I didn't know about my daughter got him from a place that farms them for meat and he was very sick and would have been disposed of, our vet treated him and he pulled through, we thought he deserved a chance of life and he adores my daughter

 

[Frazzemrat1]

if I knew about turkeys I would never have had to ask advice, and as I've explained before I wouldn't have a pet I didn't know about my daughter got him from a place that farms them for meat and he was very sick and would have been disposed of, our vet treated him and he pulled through, we thought he deserved a chance of life and he adores my daughter

I think @R2elk was referring to the Vet, not you...

 

[Better Than Rubies]

I don't disagree with @R2elk. The OP clearly wants to keep the bird as a pet—that's a personal choice. As for feed, look for an all flock or chicken feed with 15%-16% protein and 1% calcium. You don't need a medicated feed. And encourage him to exercise by separating the water and feed containers with some distance. For now, I'd treat him like a BB and limit his feed to what he can eat in 30 minutes, and give him that ration morning and evening. I would also recommend finding him a friend if you can. In the meantime, take him for walks and do other social things with him to keep him active.

Yeah, I was looking through the comments and, if I didn't find it mentioned anywhere (but then you mentioned it), I was going to suggest an All-Flock feed, too; the bag at my Orscheln's has 16%, and it said it can be for layers, held-over birds, and for maintenance, etc.

And here is what it says about it on the Web site:
Country Lane® 16% All Flock feed is designed to be fed to chickens,turkeys,ducks,geese,guinea fowl and gamebirds as a grower, layer and maintenance ration. Gamebirds include pheasants, quail and chukar. Uniform crumbles to encourage consumption. High energy ration for optimum results. Flexible as a grower and layer ration for all poultry and gamebirds from approximately 6 weeks of age through laying -and also as a maintenance ration for held -over birds.
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Also, that's nice, tjmiddlemass, that you have a pet turkey. I want a female turkey, as a pet and for eggs. But my mom said probably not, lol.
And if you get him a female, although it's totally your choice, I'm going to say this just in case you don't know: I think it's recommended that you get three to nine hens (sorry the number could be way off!, as I'm no turkey expert, obviously). Again, it's up to you, but that is recommended, for if they mate, that one hen isn't over-mated. The mating will probably be inevitable if you keep them together, which I'm sure is the whole reason of getting the hen, haha. Not trying to tell you what to do, I'm just trying to offer a bit of advice.
Sincerely,
Cara