turkey age when fully feathered?

[pepperpeeps87]

I'm going to be getting some narragansett poults in April and I've never raised turkeys before. I read somewhere that the babies shouldn't be put outside until they are fully feathered. Can anyone tell me about how old they'll be when they're fully feathered?

 

[ivan3]

The standard advice is to keep them off the ground until they're three months old. These guys go through 5 molts before adult feathering comes in at one year of age. However, since you'll be raising from day-olds (probably) keep them in brooder until they start crowding it and then transition them out-of-doors on warm days (keep them in at night). Probably safe at about two months if they are protected from chilling/rain. Haven't lost any hen raised poults, yet, here. Some idea on feathering/size during first three months (remember - these guys can clear six ft. fencing at ~2wks of age): 06/05/11 (just about a week) 06/17/11 06/20/11 08/04/11 09/02/11

 

[pepperpeeps87]

Those are slate blue turkeys right? They're so pretty! I won't be getting my poults until about April because my hatchery won't ship heritage breeds any earlier. I'm only considering 2 or 3 poults (hoping for a hen and Tom combination somewhere in there just to start lol) so it won't be any problem keeping them indoors for the first 2 or 3 months, but sheer curiosity why do they say "keep them off the ground" until they're that old? Diseases? Temperature? I want my babies to have a good start in life so I've been trying to learn as much as possible!

 

[ivan3]

Pretty much the opinion is to raise them on wire until their immune systems have full developed. Our first turks arrived as day old poults in early June and we were able to transition them out at about 1.5 months - very warm year (wet &/or chilled = dead poult).. Our hens have always hatched their clutches last week of May/first week of June (-39° latitude). If you get day olds they'll peep incessantly if they can't see you (imprint on you) so, have an area where you can close the door now & then. Once they go to sleep they are dead to the world. The `little guy' is actually out of a Blue Slate hen by a Royal Palm tom. 10/13 ed:format

 

[pepperpeeps87]

Wow! He's so handsome! I've raised chicks before and I always kept them in my room with a heat lamp until ready to go outside. I was hoping the poults would be something like that. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper lol and I used to put my chicks to sleep by gently placing my hand on top of them until they layed down and closed their eyes. Sweetest little critters ever!

 

[ivan3]

We used a folding pet cage and put in a couple of `roosts'. What I found interesting is that the two poults (not in pic - on roost behind heat lamp) that would eventually reveal themselves to be hens slept on the roosts, the putative boys? Good luck!