Turkey feed Q

[R2elk]

@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.

Imprinting causes the birds to lose the ability to understand that the person or fowl they imprinted on is not the same as they are. Researchers learned how serious a problem this can be during the early stages of saving the Whooping crane population. Among other things, it can greatly interfere with their mating instincts.

There are many posts about to0m turkeys refusing to mate with hen turkeys including the toms trying to mate with the person's shoes or chickens, etc. In the case of a tom turkey trying to mate with chickens, it usually results in dead chickens.

If they imprint on a person, it removes their natural fear of humans. All of the human aggressive toms that I have had to deal with were ones that were imprinted by someone.

If you want to treat your turkeys as pets, wait until they are adults to tame them. Let them grow up with a healthy respect for people. Check out the Memphis Tribute thread to see how she turned adult turkeys into "Lappers".

 

[Acre4Me]

Imprinting causes the birds to lose the ability to understand that the person or fowl they imprinted on is not the same as they are. Researchers learned how serious a problem this can be during the early stages of saving the Whooping crane population. Among other things, it can greatly interfere with their mating instincts.

There are many posts about to0m turkeys refusing to mate with hen turkeys including the toms trying to mate with the person's shoes or chickens, etc. In the case of a tom turkey trying to mate with chickens, it usually results in dead chickens.

If they imprint on a person, it removes their natural fear of humans. All of the human aggressive toms that I have had to deal with were ones that were imprinted by someone.

If you want to treat your turkeys as pets, wait until they are adults to tame them. Let them grow up with a healthy respect for people. Check out the Memphis Tribute thread to see how she turned adult turkeys into "Lappers".

Thanks!

So, what can I do to minimize or prevent the imprinting?

Currently, we have an outdoor pen that we intend to use for the turkeys. It is separate from the chickens (while not adjacent to the chickens, the pen is not all that far away due to limited space), so there is no worries about mating. The turkey pen has wire sides above a wood base, we can add shade with shade cloth or similar, excellent upper ventilation and a solid roof. It is very predator proof. However, it is too cold for now to put them out there. We can move them to the barn in the next week or two once this cold snap ends. At what point are poults ready to deal with the outdoors? I do have electric in their outdoor future pen, so I can add a heat lamp for a warm area for them.

While they are indoors, in their smaller enclosure, I am thinking of adding 2 chicken chicks to their poults to help them learn poultry ways (unless bad idea), but switching out the chicks with different ones each day, but the chicken chicks will sleep in the chicken enclosure - not with the poults. I'll try to minimize the handling of the poults, but some handling will happen. So, what is the advice on minimizing imprinting?

Your help is appreciated, as this is our first experience with turkeys of any kind.

 

[R2elk]

I don't use chicks as tutors, It is natural for turkeys to peck at things on the ground. Because I live on a sand dune, I use the "free" sand for bedding. I sprinkle the starter on the sand for the first couple of days. My poults ar eating within moments of being placed in the broder. It may take them a couple of days to realize that the stuff in the feeder is food too. I do not lose any poults due to lack of eating and drinking. I do dip each poult's beak in the water before I release them in the brooder.

Other than refilling the water and the feeder as required, I leave the poults alone. My brooder is 4' x 4'. I do not pick the poults up and avoid any interaction with them except for what is required. It helps that my brooder is in the coop and not in the house.

Poults can be outside for limited time on warm days. If they were being raised by a hen, they would venture out from under her even on the day they hatch. They can always retreat to her warmth at any moment.

For poults that are brooder raised, I would not put them outside until they are fully feathered. I start my poults at 90°F measured at the bedding level under the heater. The rest of the brooder is unheated and they venture in and out of the hot zone as they feel the need. I keep the feeder and the waterer outside of the heated zone.

Depending on the ambient temperature, I lower the supplemental heat by 5°F once or twice a week. The warmer the ambient temperature, the faster I lower the heat until it is at the ambient temperature.

 

[Acre4Me]

Thanks @R2elk

For poults that are brooder raised, I would not put them outside until they are fully feathered.

When is this for poults? I know for chickens it is around 6 weeks, but no idea on poults.

 

[R2elk]

Thanks @R2elk


When is this for poults? I know for chickens it is around 6 weeks, but no idea on poults.

I take mine out of the brooder at 2 weeks oold. They are flying by then. They go into the grow out pen at two weeks old and will be in there until sold or big enough to contend with the rest of the poultry, usually around a month or older.

 

[Acre4Me]

I take mine out of the brooder at 2 weeks oold. They are flying by then. They go into the grow out pen at two weeks old and will be in there until sold or big enough to contend with the rest of the poultry, usually around a month or older.

Ok. Thx!

so, sounds like we might be able to put the poults into outdoor pen as early as 2 weeks old? But, they will need some heat?

 

[R2elk]

Ok. Thx!

so, sounds like we might be able to put the poults into outdoor pen as early as 2 weeks old? But, they will need some heat?

At two weeks old, the ambient temperature here for the first batch of poults will still be below freezing at night. I do have a heat lamp available to them in one spot. Once they start roosting instead of huddling under the light, I discontinue the heat.

 

[Bantambird]

Poults can be uncanny in their search for ways to die until 8 weeks, so watch out for that.

 

[R2elk]

Poults can be uncanny in their search for ways to die until 8 weeks, so watch out for that.

I have really good success not losing any. Of course I don't let a hen raise them in the general population. My neighbor who raises his "naturally" probably has lower than a 50% survival rate.

 

[Bantambird]

I have really good success not losing any. Of course I don't let a hen raise them in the general population. My neighbor who raises his "naturally" probably has lower than a 50% survival rate.

If Rosabelle is the momma hen, she doesn't loose any unless they are searching for death. She's the best momma. Her daughter, Pretty Girl, has also turned out pretty great, although she has a bad habit of roaming half mile up the street with them.... They still lived anyways, ironically. Last year's brood was Pretty Girl with 14. She only lost 2.