Tom missing chest feathers

[Zeddemore]

hi all!

Recently I took in a group of midget white turkeys. They were kept in real small metal cages(just big enough to standup take a few steps and turn around. My hen and 2 poults look great. The tom on the other hand is missing almost all of his chest feathers. Other than that he is friendly and seems healthy.


About how long does it take for turkey feathers to grow in? I live in New England and our winters can be rather harsh and cold and I don't want his chest to freeze. If they don't grow in would he be fine being outside in the pen this winter?

He is in a pen right now with my hen. The pen is 20x10. Multiple perches(which he never uses) and a hut for them to go in(again he never uses it).

I don't want him to freeze this winter. A few people have told me to eat him, which is the plan with offspring I will raise. But I would like to avoid slaughtering him just because he is missing some feathers.

 

[R2elk]

hi all!

Recently I took in a group of midget white turkeys. They were kept in real small metal cages(just big enough to standup take a few steps and turn around. My hen and 2 poults look great. The tom on the other hand is missing almost all of his chest feathers. Other than that he is friendly and seems healthy.


About how long does it take for turkey feathers to grow in? I live in New England and our winters can be rather harsh and cold and I don't want his chest to freeze. If they don't grow in would he be fine being outside in the pen this winter?

He is in a pen right now with my hen. The pen is 20x10. Multiple perches(which he never uses) and a hut for them to go in(again he never uses it).

I don't want him to freeze this winter. A few people have told me to eat him, which is the plan with offspring I will raise. But I would like to avoid slaughtering him just because he is missing some feathers.

The feathers won't grow back until he molts. If they are on their way to growing back you should be able to see pin feathers in the area.

The breast feathers on turkeys really aren't that thick. If the tom is being fed properly he will grow a subcutaneous layer of fat that will do more for keeping him warm than his breast feathers will.

If nothing else, get a bale of straw or hay so that he can get up off of the ground at night. It isn't a big issue right now but it is better for the turkeys to be up off of the frozen ground during the winter. My turkeys spend the winter outside on their roosts all winter with temperatures getting down to -30°F normally. Their roost is in a place where it is protected from the prevailing wind.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine are bare chested this time of year too, mostly from laying on the ground and mating. They are just beginning to molt, yours should be too. In a couple of months they should have fresh feathers and no more bare spots, and will be ready for the winter.