Questions before I get turkeys for the first time!!

[mommyofthree]

I'm planning on getting some turkeys (we're raising them for meat) next month when I get more chicks. I plan to let them free range with the chickens if they can get along. Here are some questions I have...

-Is there a difference between "Broad Breasted White Turkey" and "Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey"? (These are my options)
-Can I keep the turkeys with my free range chicks and ducks or should I house them separately? Will they get along if they are raised together?
-What do they eat? Chicken feed, special game feed..??
-How long does it take them to grow to maturity...or at least a good size to eat and how big can they get?
-Approximately how much feed will a free range turkey eat up until it gets to butchering age?

I ordered a book about raising turkeys but just want to know some of these answers now. I have a few friends who want me to raise turkeys for them too, so I would like to know roughly how much money I will have into them.

 

[paddock36]

The white turkey is white and the other is a brown color. The skin on the white turkey is nicer looking when dressing it out.
They need a high protein feed to support their bone growth because of being heavy breeds. What are you planning on having them for meat or pets. My turkeys got along with my chickens but we still kept them separate. My little Serama roo would try to fight with them if he got too close but not the standard hens.

 

[ColbyNTX]

The turkeys will need a game bird or turkey starter, 28-30% protien. They take 4-6 months to get to butcher weight. They will not put on weight as fast if they free range. I had some turkeys kill some ducks they were hatch and raised with after they were grown.

 

[pdpatch]

-Is there a difference between "Broad Breasted White Turkey" and "Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey"?
(These are my options)
A: The whites tend to be slightly bigger when grown, BBB tend to have shorter and wider set apart legs.
When it comes time to butcher the small hairs will be white and harder to see after plucking.

-Can I keep the turkeys with my free range chicks and ducks or should I house them separately?
Yes you could but both types of turkeys need wild game feed which is not used for layer as it throws off
there laying. We used separate coops for the night, then let turkeys out first thing and then the chickens around noon.

- Will they get along if they are raised together?
A: With any group of animals you can never be sure they will get along, But as a general rule they will. Both the
BBW and BBB turkeys are very mellow for the most part. But they will only take so much bulling by the other animals before hey retaliate.

-What do they eat? Chicken feed, special game feed..??
You should use a wild game starter feed for them to start off. with a a vitamin and mineral supplement in
the water for the first couple of weeks.
after 4 or so weeks you can switch to a grower or grower/start combination

-How long does it take them to grow to maturity...or at least a good size to eat and how big can they get?
A: Generally at about 20 weeks they will be ready to butcher. The hens will be around 30 plus pounds and the bigger Toms
around 40 to 50 pounds live weight. This is one thing to keep in mind when it comes to butchering. a
struggling turkey weight in at 50 pound may seem like a 100 pound bird. also whole birds take up a lot or space
in the freezer. Last year we just took the breast, thighs and legs off at butcher time to save space.

-Approximately how much feed will a free range turkey eat up until it gets to butchering age?
A: Near the end of the 20 weeks period ours seemed to go through 2 40 pound bags of feed.


Tom