St. Clair Turkey

[St.Clair]

Recently added 12 birds to the Thanksgiving flock. 6 BB, 4 BR, a big Narragansett and one that I don't know.

We are going to keep a pair of the BR for breeding as well as the Narragansett, I need to get him some girl friends.

Current setup, we live on 20 acres and they are in a tractor for the moment. This is an 8x12 structure completely safe and heavy as ****. I have to lug water out and move tractor twice daily.
We are working on getting a peremiter fence set up so they can have free access to pasture.

I need a bulk food option. Currently feeding a random poultry mix and scraps. What is a good mixture to maintain the birds until culling?

 

[rjohns39]

Here are a couple of blends. I would recommend contacting the two places listed here and see if they have something like below. First is a turkey finisher, second you want to start 30 days prior to breeding.

SPN Turkey Finisher

Ingredient: Amount:
CORN 7.0% (GRD) 665
SOYBEANS ROASTED 650
WHEAT 11% GROUND 500
ALFALFA ML 17% 100
POULTRY NB DL 60
LIMESTONE 37% Ca 25
Formula Totals: 2,000.00

Nutrient: Unit:
CRUDE PROTEIN 18.4 %
CRUDE FAT 7.8 %
CRUDE FIBER 4.5 %
CALCIUM 1.06 %
PHOSPHORUS 0.67 %
SALT (ADDED) 0.32 %
SODIUM 0.14 %
M.E. (PLTY) 1383 KCAL/LB
VITAMIN A 6.10 KIU/LB
VITAMIN D 1.61 KIU/LB
VIT. E (ADDED) 50.0 IU/LB
LYSINE 0.95 %
METHIONINE 0.38 %
METH + CYSTINE 0.57 %
MANGANESE 92.1 PPM
ZINC 70.6 PPM
IRON 64.6 PPM
COPPER 5.64 PPM
IODINE 3.78 PPM
SELENIUM 0.32 PPM

Turkey Finisher is primarily designed for bird that will go for consumption. This is a higher energy feed to ensure proper fat deposits and intermuscular fat for quality eating experience. This feed should be used during the last quarter of the turkey’s development. Birds that will be used for breeding should be placed on the chicken pullet or cockerel developing diets followed by the holding diet.

SPN Turkey Breeder Laying

Ingredients: Amount:
CORN 7.0% (GRD) 680
WHEAT 11% GROUND 500
SOYBEANS ROASTED 450
ALFALFA ML 17% 150
POULTRY NB DL 70
OYSTER SHELLS 50
LIMESTONE 37% Ca 50
FISH ML (MENHADEN) 50
Formula Totals: 2,000

Nutrient: Unit:
CRUDE PROTEIN 16.6 %
CRUDE FAT 6.26 %
CRUDE FIBER 4.6 %
CALCIUM 2.67 %
PHOSPHORUS 0.75 %
SALT (ADDED) 0.37 %
SODIUM 0.18 %
M.E. (PLTY) 1298 KCAL/LB
VITAMIN A 7.59 KIU/LB
VITAMIN D 1.88 KIU/LB
VIT. E (ADDED) 58.3 IU/LB
LYSINE 0.82 %
METHIONINE 0.38 %
METH + CYSTINE 0.52 %
MANGANESE 107.5 PPM
ZINC 82.4 PPM
IRON 75.4 PPM
COPPER 6.6 PPM
IODINE 4.4 PPM
SELENIUM 0.37 PPM

Turkey Breeder Laying diet is best used starting 30 days prior to egg laying and harvesting for hatching until the end of the laying cycle. As with the Chicken Breeder formula this is specifically designed with higher vitamins, trace minerals and amino acids to increase hatchability and embryo viability.

 

[fairie]

Your tractor design is beautiful. I can image how heavy. woops! we are working on building one now with wheels built into the frame. Do you have any type of wire on the bottom to keep out bad turkey eating animals? Do you leave them out there all night? Thanks for the answers.
I live in Germany so I can not give you any suggestions on feed. We just buy the turkey finisher from the feed store here. Ours get 2x10 liter bucket of greens from the filed every day (dandelions and clover) until the tractor is ready.

 

[St.Clair]

Woops is right. It is large and heavy , but my tractor pulls it easy. I have a trailer ball on the pto of my tractor which raises and lowers. No i have nothing but an open bottom to allow some foraging. Had a group of coyotes chasing turkey inside, but tractor is to heavy to go under (unless you dig a large enough hole). The turkeys lost a few tail feathers that were sticking out of chicken wire sides but that is all.