Raising Turkeys in a Drought

[frank53061]

I don't know about everyone else but the heat we are having in the Central United States and no rain is having affects on Farmers of all kinds.
I checked local Craig's list and there is a large increase of people selling there stock of birds and at a very much lowered prices.

Plus now that the natural food sources for wild life in my area and water are becoming so scarce I'm having problems with wild life attempting to get into my Chicken and Turkey pens at night to get to the feed and water.
The Chickens and Turkeys are locked in there coops each night so I have not lost any.
I have seen Deer running around in daylight looking for food and water sources and that's not normal.
I am going to have to secure my feed at night this morning I found one of my feeders empty of 5 pounds of feed that is hung from a 4 foot wire in what I thought was a secured pen.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Feed prices are probably going to skyrocket.

I weigh feed and feed twice a day. Just what they can clean up. That way the wild birds can't get much of it. If feed is left out all day, the sparrows eat more of it that the ducks eat.

I store my feed in metal garbage cans with tight fitting lids. So far (touch wood) the mice haven't been able to get into those. Cans are inside a secure building, so the raccoons can't get it.

Grass is gone. Birds get greens from my veggie garden, which is irrigated. They can also be fed sprouted oats. The whole feed oats from the feed store will usually sprout OK, and they aren't treated with any fungicides.