turkey starter feed

[herrick80]

I just recieved turkey pullets from crackle hatchery and I'm having a hard time finding high protein starter around here on long island NY. They were hatched on Monday and shipped the same day. There was a cold snap here all week and I didn't receive the birds until Thursday. Four were dead on arrival and 4 more died in the first 24 hours. The breeder was very helpful in giving me information about caring and teaching the birds to eat and drink. These last few days I could only get chicken starter crumbles. The local Agway store was suppose to get me wild game bird starter crumbles last week, but they didn't get it in and said it's back ordered. They dont know if it will come in this week. Cackle Hatchery had told me to mix hard boiled egg yolks with the crumbles which the birds seem to love. I was wondering if their is supplemental food that I could add to increase the protein level? Any suggestions

 

[ivan3]

The hard boiled eggs are a great addition. If you have access to standard meal worms they'll glom them down as well. Eggs & meal worms should make up for any protein deficiency.

Good luck!

 

[herrick80]

how long can I feed the eggs and meal worms to them.

 

[ivan3]

So long as the combination only comprises about a third of their diet (need the chick food as well), as long as you like (meal worms and eggs are also useful when augmenting diets of injured adults). Poults, in the wild (and if lucky enough in domestic settings - 2011 had a flush of cicadas, here - that hatch grew faster than those in other years that just got the gamebird starter) get most of their protein from insects.

 

[herrick80]

thanks for the info. what about medicines. I will be able to get wild game bird starter feed in a couple of days. I read that I should put 1/2 a teaspoon of apple cider vinger to a quart of water daily. Any other all natural foods that I should give to keep the birds healthy.

 

[ivan3]

Don't overdo it with any `additions' to the water. If there exists any research of the utility of providing acetic acid to the developing crops of poults, I've yet to come across it (do provide such, in some poultry processing plants a few days before slaughter of finished chickens/turkeys in order to decrease bacterial count in crop).

Once they're about three weeks old you could try a little finely chopped grapes/peaches. However, this will increase litter change-out schedule.

Pretty much just stick to the Starter, once you get it, and clean water. They'll do fine.

 

[herrick80]

ok thanks