Turkey feed Q

[Acre4Me]

We will be picking up chicken chicks and turkey poults next week. I'll be buying feed for them, and will offer only turkey starter for them for the first few weeks. At that point, I expect we might have to separate the chicken chicks from the poults, so then we will offer chick grower to the chickens, and turkey grower to the poults.

My feed source offers two Turkey starter choices. I've noted the biggest differences in the description.

1. Non-GMO 25% (non-medicated). This has 10.5% fat (min). Fiber 6.5% (max). Lysine 1.5% (min), Methionine 0.5% (min), Ca (1.40-1.90%). This contains a lot of microbial fermentation products. First few ingredients are: Soybean, corn, Oats, wheat, alfalfa meal, and fish meal.


2. 28% medicated. This has 3.0% fat (min). Fiber 5.0% (max), Lysine 1.60% (min), Methionine 0.60% (min), Ca (1.2-1.7%). This one a variety of fermentation products too. First few ingredients are: Corn, soybean meal, Corn distillers grains with solubles, Meat and bone meal, Wheat middlings, vegetable oil.

So, is one better than the other? There is a big difference in fat%. And source of protein too.

 

[R2elk]

We will be picking up chicken chicks and turkey poults next week. I'll be buying feed for them, and will offer only turkey starter for them for the first few weeks. At that point, I expect we might have to separate the chicken chicks from the poults, so then we will offer chick grower to the chickens, and turkey grower to the poults.

My feed source offers two Turkey starter choices. I've noted the biggest differences in the description.

1. Non-GMO 25% (non-medicated). This has 10.5% fat (min). Fiber 6.5% (max). Lysine 1.5% (min), Methionine 0.5% (min), Ca (1.40-1.90%). This contains a lot of microbial fermentation products. First few ingredients are: Soybean, corn, Oats, wheat, alfalfa meal, and fish meal.


2. 28% medicated. This has 3.0% fat (min). Fiber 5.0% (max), Lysine 1.60% (min), Methionine 0.60% (min), Ca (1.2-1.7%). This one a variety of fermentation products too. First few ingredients are: Corn, soybean meal, Corn distillers grains with solubles, Meat and bone meal, Wheat middlings, vegetable oil.

So, is one better than the other? There is a big difference in fat%. And source of protein too.

If those were my only choices, I would choose option #2 which has higher protein, higher lysine and higher methionine. Unfortunately the only way to find out the niacin content is by contacting the manufacturers.

I would not be concerned about the fat content. I use a 28% protein non-medicated starter for my pooults. I have brooded poults and chicks together in the past and fed all of them the turkey starter. I do not recommend brooding turkey poults and chicks together because of the possible problems that imprinting can cause. It removes the turkeys ability to understand that chickens aren't turkeys.

 

[Acre4Me]

If those were my only choices, I would choose option #2 which has higher protein, higher lysine and higher methionine. Unfortunately the only way to find out the niacin content is by contacting the manufacturers.

I would not be concerned about the fat content. I use a 28% protein non-medicated starter for my pooults. I have brooded poults and chicks together in the past and fed all of them the turkey starter. I do not recommend brooding turkey poults and chicks together because of the possible problems that imprinting can cause. It removes the turkeys ability to understand that chickens aren't turkeys.

Thank you.

FWIW, I’m getting Bourbon Red straight run, 6 poults, and up to 12 chicken chicks. I’ll pick up at hatchery, so no mailing stress.

so, would brooding together for 1 week still be a problem? We have a brooder in the barn, but with such cold temps, I was likely going to brood in the house for 1 week so I could keep a good eye on them (chicks abd their drinking and eating. I can convert a large metal dog crate into a turkey brooder with heat lamp. And if I should keep them completely separate, I can probably talk spouse into lending a corner of insulated (sometimes heated) workshop to brooding poults.

My plan was to use a heat plate for warmth. Do turkey poults use a heat plate and benefit similarly to a chick?

 

[R2elk]

I have brooded them together which is why I recommend brooding them separately. If I happen to have a chick hatched at the same time poults hatch, I will still stick it in the same brooder with them.

You do what you have to do with the resources you have. Poults seem to be the easiest to to imprint. I go out of my way to avoid imprinting them. If you brood them in the house you are going to have a tough time not imprinting them. They are naturals at grabbing onto your heart.

I have never used a heat plate for poults. I use a GQF brooder heater. I can't remember who does use one. maybe @aliciaplus3 or @Bantambird knows.

 

[iwltfum]

I'll second the fact that they will do better separated. If your brooder is big enough to split in half and you have two of all your brooder supplies, that might be the better way to go over combining the clucthes. A general rule for brooding chicks and poults together is that you want the poults to greatly outnumber the chicks because the chicks are more steady on their feet and more active and jumpy. Basically it's unfair for the poults because they cant handle the activity level. Too many chicks in with not enough poults can result in poults getting trampled and crushed simply because the chicks are more agile. A couple chicks in with a bunch of poults can be helpful to the poults because the chicks will show them how to eat and drink properly and just generally how to be a better healthier bird. Also poults need it a bit warmer than chicks especially in the first week or two.

 

[Bantambird]

I have brooded them together which is why I recommend brooding them separately. If I happen to have a chick hatched at the same time poults hatch, I will still stick it in the same brooder with them.

You do what you have to do with the resources you have. Poults seem to be the easiest to to imprint. I go out of my way to avoid imprinting them. If you brood them in the house you are going to have a tough time not imprinting them. They are naturals at grabbing onto your heart.

I have never used a heat plate for poults. I use a GQF brooder heater. I can't remember who does use one. maybe @aliciaplus3 or @Bantambird knows.

I use a infrared panel heater in my baby brooder. I've also used modified heat pads for brooders and made brooder caves. When they get cold they snuggle under there pretty well. The infrared panels made for animals are usually washable and durable and don't cost as much electricity but cost more as an initial investment. You also need to watch height. The babies also get to enjoy a proper day night cycle and your fire risk goes down. I've accidentally started a few fires with heat bulbs myself.

 

[R2elk]

I use a infrared panel heater in my baby brooder. I've also used modified heat pads for brooders and made brooder caves. When they get cold they snuggle under there pretty well. The infrared panels made for animals are usually washable and durable and don't cost as much electricity but cost more as an initial investment. You also need to watch height. The babies also get to enjoy a proper day night cycle and your fire risk goes down. I've accidentally started a few fires with heat bulbs myself.

Mine get a proper day/night cycle because I have a daylight bulb that I turn on for the daytime and off at night. The heat is supplied by the GQF brooder heater.

 

[Bantambird]

I've not had much problem brooding together as long as everyone has enough space. Poults are more prone to piling so watch those corners. They are definitely more delicate than chicks for sure. The infrared panel cuts down on picking because it is dark under there. But since poults tend more towards piling, check often.

 

[yesterDAYNE]

All of my turkey poults were brooded with a heat plate and it worked great. Not any expensive ones either, just the ones you can get from tractor supply. The only downside is they like to stand on them too and poop all over. Last year I bought a rent-a-coop platr specifically for this cone https://shoprentacoop.com/products/hp-1212c-heater-plate-cover and it worked out nice. They go under when cold and come out when content.

I think the only plate I've tried that didnt heat great was the orange k&h one. I used it for older ages or older goslings instead who needed less heat.

 

[Acre4Me]

Thanks everyone! I have 2 enclosures right now, in a spare bedroom. One for poults, which will get a red heat lamp. I put it in the empty closet area, so I could securely hang the light from the closet rod with a sturdy chain. The other is a large cardboard box for the chicks, and a heat plate. I ordered a second heat plate, but it won’t arrive until Thursday or Friday. @daynedoe - the domed lids for the heat plates are very helpful. Our first heat plate was a large 12x18 size -so the domed lids were ridiculously priced. The replacement heat plate is a 12x12 (same for the new one I ordered), and it seems common to find them sold as a set, which is helpful bc it isn’t easy getting the poop off the heat plates!

@R2elk - I think I understand imprinting, but can you explain it related to turkeys? Is it a bad thing? What are the results?

as for the feed: I went with the 28%. However it is a pheasant feed that the feed store sells for turkey poults too. It is made by the same feed company that I had info on their turkey starter. The nutritional label is a bit different, but not much. The feed is Kalmbach. We have had great experience with all Kalmbach chicken/meat bird/and all-flock feeds. We switched to Kalmbach after using a few other brands of feed, and there was noticeable improvement. Hopefully the pheasant feed does equally well for the poults.