Something someone said....

[Black Feather]

I've never raised production turkeys before so I'm not quite sure the proper way to raise them in regard to how much food they should be getting in order to flourish. I have raised Beltsville Small White turkeys though, and never had anything like this even remotely happen.

A farmer down the road made the comment to me "getting ready to take the turkeys to butcher, it is a little early but two of them have broken their legs fighting for food..."

To me this statement raises some red flags. I don't think birds should be fighting so hard over food that this should be happening. If they were being fed more would this still occur? I almost have the feeling these birds are being fed just enough to survive, but not a lot else.

Thoughts?

 

[OmaBird]

I wonder if they are being feed chicken feed rather than turkey feed. Turkey feed has 4 times more calcium than chicken feed.

My broad breasted turkeys did not fight with there feet. They were to big and fat. I wonder if there legs where just broken down from there size? It is very common in BB turkeys.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Just a guess but I would say he was raising broad breasted turkeys and their legs gave out under the weight. Lower protien feed would not make them fight for food, it would only make them gain weight slower. A turkey can't fit but so much food in the crop and grind but so much thru gizzard no matter what the protien level is.

Steve

 

[Tunastopper]

It could be the lack of enough minerals like Oma said. 4 times more calcium is a lot. My vet told me when they don't get enough calcium it comes out of the bones. I had a pet BBW turkey with a broken leg from a fall in our swimming pool (it was empty for the winter). It was not caused by protein but rather something like osteoporosis.

Overfeeding making weak legs is also very possible.