Hi everybody, I have a 16 month old broad breasted bronze turkey who is losing her feathers. It is so bad that you can't even pet her, she can stand in one place and when the wind hits her more feathers fall off. Reading from above I can tell you she is getting a turkey with more protein feed, she is also getting a supplement with oyster shells. She lives with two other broad breasted turkey and they are five months old now, and they're fine. They do sleep on the ground on hay which is about 6 inches deep. She's not doing a whole lot of moving around she seems to stand in one place more than she used to.
Unfortunately Broad Breasted turkeys are two "Frankenstein's monsters" of the poultry world. The other one, although I don't believe they are quite as bad, are the Cornish X (also called broilers), but they are close. If she is a pet, I would restrict her feed and promote more free ranging. Mine receive a less protein content now (they make up the rest by hunting bugs). However, the damage is already done because of their genetic make up. They grow so fast that it is hard for their bones and organs to carry the same load. Some Broad Breasted White toms at the farm where I got mine are over 70lbs (they are the breeders) and they have the same size organs as my little 15lbs Royal Palm tom. Meaning that their heart, to pump enough oxygen to everything has to work overtime to get it done.
I would say that the regular 20% feed would be perfectly fine for her, as long as it is restricted (but be careful about her becoming underweight and always adjust your feed accordingly). If she isn't up and moving, go up to her and try to get her up a going for a little bit. Mine have to last me until spring of next year (I know, I am pushing it) and making sure that they have an excellent cardiovascular system is key. Using treats to make her walk around and start to forage is OK at first. The calcium from the oyster shells is more so to help with egg production, but I feel it is always good to add just a little extra to their diet. Has your's laid any eggs? She should be in that age range where she is laying an egg every few days. If she is not, then you may never get eggs from her. She will not be able to be bred (but eggs are tasty by products of owning a pet turkey) with other Broad Breasted turkeys and keeping toms around may actually kill or severely mutilate the hen when he tries to mount her because of his weight. At a local fair, the kids have to take a tom and a hen markey turkey project (the hen is for butterball turkey and the tom is for more like deli meats) and they lost 3 or 4 market pens this year from the toms leaving extremely large gashes in the sides of the hens and from breaking the hen's bones from getting on top (of course this is being taken to the fair board about finally listening to the 4-Hers and not putting their market turkeys together just to save space). So, if one of the other two ends up becoming a tom, I strongly suggest him finding another home.
Now, the good news. Your turkey is moulting. She will lose her feather and they will regrow much like a chicken, parrot or even a little song bird. Just like how dogs shed all of their fur, a turkey will shed all of its feathers in preparation for the upcoming year (after all, it is supposed to be hot this time of year, so less feathers will help you cool down, and by the time they all grow in, it will be cooling down and nice, unbroken feathers full of fresh fluffy insulation feathers will help them stay warmer). It is perfectly natural for all birds to go through this.
