Putting weight on my turkeys

[Costa Rica Art]

I live in Costa Rica which I cannot find high protein feed. My turkeys for the table are at 24 weeks. They are somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds. What can I do to put weight on my turkeys? I have been giving them extra cracked corn. They have the run of my back yard so they are picking and scratching all day. They have access to 20% protein feed 24/7.

 

[Lotsapaints]

day old bread will help and time it seemed last year mine wouldn't be ready in time for Thanksgiving after 24 weeks they really started to plump up mine were Midget Whites it did take the Bourbons about 9 months before they looked ready but I'm waiting for the cooler weather they are plumped out nice almost a year old.

 

[Steph Martin]

Hi. I had the most astronomical success with my first five turkeys. Here's what I did and for how long.

Got turkeys at one week old and kept them in the house for approximately one week. Put them outside in a little house and gave them a raised run of about 8'x4' (this with the house included was probably 11'x4'). I fed them several times a day on normal turkey grower and all the extras from the garden, fridge, etc. Nothing spectacular, nothing extreme. They really thrived on my actually being there and talking etc. (not for everyone tho). When I had them processed at 4 months of age, the older gentleman that did it could not believe how young they were. They were just your "run-of-the-mill" white turkeys from the Cooperative in Nova Scotia. They dressed out at 35 to 40 pounds each (all Toms) and this was supposedly big for age and all that happy stuff (first and only time I did it). I've read that keeping these guys from roaming around really puts the weight on them and, where we were raising them for the table and in a short growing season, it was the best way...it worked...but to keep your conscience clear go down and baby them a bit. I certainly wouldn't want to hang out in a small but outside room for four months.

good luck

 

[Costa Rica Art]

Quote:
Something you won't find in Costa Rica is a thrift store, day old bread is bread, two day old bread is bread. Very practical folks these Ticos. Well if yours started plumping out after 24 weeks then mine should be about there. I was thinking of cracked corn twice a day and see if that helps them plump up, it sure gets them excited. A half head of lettuce is gone in 60 seconds. The grocery store where we get our veggies gives away over ripe bananas, they go nuts over them, toss em out and the race is on.

 

[bryan99705]

Feed them anything you can that is high protein, tablescrap, bugs, veggies, fruit. The big thing is keep them eating.

 

[Stacykins]

Quote:
Without a doubt you didn't have 'run of the mill' white turkeys, but instead you had broad breasted whites. They are the turkey equivalent of the cornish X chicken and are bred to grow to HUGE sizes in a short amount of time. A heritage breed of turkey can't grow as fast as the broad breasted varieties, nor easily reach the massive weights either.