Turkey advice?

[therandomhatcher]

I am planning on hatching turkeys. I was thinking Narragansett. Does anybody know what I should expect? I was mostly thinking about what type of feeders and waterers I should use. How much feed they eat, what they eat, etc.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@R2elk

 

[turkey girl 0964]

Turkeys eggs take about 28 days to hatch, lock down on day 25, and you should keep the temp at about 99.5 in a forced air and 100-102 for a still air. Humidity should be around 40-55% at hatch 60-75%. They should eat a game bird food or turkey food with high protein of 28% or higher for the first few weeks and them you can lower it to 20% after a few months. I use a Little Giant Plastic Hanging Poultry Feeder for mine and I hang it to the length I think is best for them. I just use a a big water trough for their water, they like to step in it. When the hens start to lay give them some oyster shell. If you are butchering them you can pluck a few feathers of off the turkeys breast and the take you pointer finger and your thumb and kind of pinch the breast to see how much fat they have on them if they have a lot of fat they are ready to butcher if they don't have much and you can still see a lot of veins them give them a few more weeks. Hope this helps! Have fun with your turkeys!

 

[R2elk]

I incubate at about 30% humidity and lockdown at 65% to 70% humidity.

 

[Devils Flower]

My turkeys are 7 weeks now. I just put them on All flock a couple of days ago. I use a automatic dear feeder. I have chickens and ducks too.. I had a hard time finding starter feed for them so I had to place a special order at the feed store to get 30% protein. Tractor supply store. I got it the same day I placed the order on there website and drove a hour to pick it up. I have multiple water containers. I have a puppy pool, 3 plastic buckets 2 five gallon basic Poultry water container.
The basic small chick water container and feeder is what I used when they was in the brooder. Works just fine for baby turkeys.
You might know this all ready but baby turkeys are more delicate then a chick. I have been blessed that I havnt lost a baby..

 

[therandomhatcher]

I have heard that turkey chicks have trouble adapting, but I have also heard the opposite

 

[turkey girl 0964]

I have heard that turkey chicks have trouble adapting, but I have also heard the opposite

It takes them a bit longer to learn how to eat and drink but nothing bad has ever happened to me.

 

[R2elk]

My turkeys are 7 weeks now. I just put them on All flock a couple of days ago. I use a automatic dear feeder. I have chickens and ducks too.. I had a hard time finding starter feed for them so I had to place a special order at the feed store to get 30% protein. Tractor supply store. I got it the same day I placed the order on there website and drove a hour to pick it up. I have multiple water containers. I have a puppy pool, 3 plastic buckets 2 five gallon basic Poultry water container.
The basic small chick water container and feeder is what I used when they was in the brooder. Works just fine for baby turkeys.
You might know this all ready but baby turkeys are more delicate then a chick. I have been blessed that I havnt lost a baby..

At 7 weeks old, the recommendation is for poults to be on a turkey or game bird grower that is normally 24% protein. All flock is not recommended until they are 12 to 14 weeks old.

 

[R2elk]

I have heard that turkey chicks have trouble adapting, but I have also heard the opposite

Most people that have major problems with turkey poults survival is due to trying to raise too few at at a time. It can be difficult to keep one to three alive. Larger groups tend to have much better survival rates.

 

[Devils Flower]

At 7 weeks old, the recommendation is for poults to be on a turkey or game bird grower that is normally 24% protein. All flock is not recommended until they are 12 to 14 weeks old.

Thanks. I'm not disagreeing with you in anyway. I just do what is good for (my) flock and in my means to provide for them and I share my own experience I have had over the last 7 weeks.
For some that works I'm sure not all people that have turkeys do everything by the book.. I have read stories about people using scratch as half or most there diet and some people make up there home-made feed and there Flock lives long happy lives. Everyone has different ideas on what's best, They do what they fill works for there flock I'm sure.
I'm sticking with my All Flock Purina 20% protein. My turkeys are 100% pets. They are not for meat or breeding. They are free ranged and have other things to eat other then All Flock. So they can make up for what they don't get in there commercial feed. They have 10 acres of everything they could ever won't to eat and then some.
I know you have years and years of experience but sometimes that doesn't work for everyone all the time. I have taken your advice on somthings and have implemented them in my flock. You have alot of replies on BYC and have helped alot of people.