Turkey Talk for 2014

[Sydney Acres]

Thanks!! We are really taken with them, though I can't really say they display a great deal of personality at this point, likely because they are in their brooder still. They do allow us to hold and pet them.

In doing a bit of research I see that opinions vary wildly about what to feed turkeys and when. What types of feed do you use, and when relative to age, for your poults and adults? My babies are currently on a 30% protein starter mash. I'm trying to figure out when I should lower it, or if I should have already. Thanks!!

Depending on my goals for the birds, I like to feed 24-30% protein for heritage turkeys until they are 8 weeks old, then 20-24% until the hens are a few weeks from laying (usually starting somewhere between January to March, depending on where you live), then 19-20% plus calcium (either in the form of layer pellets, or oyster shells that are always available, or both). If I raise the poults with chicks in the same brooder, then I mix the 30% game bird starter half and half with the 18% chick starter, and the mix ends up as a 24% food. Many (not all) dual purpose breed chicks do well on protein levels that high, as long as you do bring it down a little at 8 weeks, or at the very latest by 10-12 weeks. (Dorkings, Buckeyes, and Speckled Sussex do great, and probably truly need the extra protein, plus some meat protein, but Barnevelder and Croad Langshan cockerels do not do well with such high levels, in my experience.)

If I want them to grow quite large quite quickly (such as for Thanksgiving processing), then I typically feed protein levels at the higher end of the range. If I want them to attain their full size more slowly, which is ideal for breeding stock and pets, as they will have less medical problems and will likely live longer, then I feed protein levels as the lower to middle end of the range. I don't like going below 24% protein for heritage turkeys that are less than 8 weeks old.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I just put 16 Bourbon Red Turkey eggs in the incubator. Sure hope they do well, I am new to this and have only hatched some chicken eggs. Getting in to Turkeys now. Hoping to keep a few myself. Will be kept for eggs in the future to sell. No eating of the Turkeys around here...lol

I love my dual purpose turkeys -- eggs and pets!! I'm amazed how many eggs the hens lay.

 

[jdduck]

I have 2 new little eastern turkeys right now one is one week and the other hatched last night we have been feeding 24% chick starter (it is the highest i have been able to find around me) and feed some bugs every day (meal worms crickets mouths) Is there any thing other that i need to up the protein level?

 

[chickadoodles]

Here are a few of my 4 month old BBW& BBB showing off

 

[Sydney Acres]

I have 2 new little eastern turkeys right now one is one week and the other hatched last night we have been feeding 24% chick starter (it is the highest i have been able to find around me) and feed some bugs every day (meal worms crickets mouths) Is there any thing other that i need to up the protein level?

If your chick starter is 24% protein they'll probably do fine, although that would be my personal minimum for wild turkeys up to 8 weeks old. Then I typically decrease the protein down to 20-24% until the hens are about ready to lay eggs, then either offer oyster shells on the side, or switch to layer pellets, or both.

If you'd like to offer a little higher protein, another 4-6%, you can ask your local feed store to special order a game bird starter. From what I've read, wild turkeys should "ideally" be on a 28-30% game bird starter diet for the first 8 weeks. Any store that sells Purina products should be able to special order Purina Game Bird Starter, which is 30% protein. It only comes in a 50# bag, so you'll likely only need one bag total. It should cost around $17-20. Other companies have other game bird starter formulas that may have a slightly different protein level. Any feed store should be able to find the right food for you, and special order it from their suppliers if it's not already in stock.

You can also increase the protein level of what you have by offering a small amount of fish every day. Not too much!! The problem is that without analysis and weights and other components, it's more difficult to determine just how much you've raised the protein with this method. When I use fish supplements, I tend to give ~5% of their diet (by volume) in fish, which seems to give the birds enough of a boost if it seems like there's any deficiency. Nothing scientific about that number, as I haven't looked up the protein levels of the fish I use and then worked out all the math. It's just been intuitive, and has worked for me.

 

[TattooedMama]

Depending on my goals for the birds, I like to feed 24-30% protein for heritage turkeys until they are 8 weeks old, then 20-24% until the hens are a few weeks from laying (usually starting somewhere between January to March, depending on where you live), then 19-20% plus calcium (either in the form of layer pellets, or oyster shells that are always available, or both). If I raise the poults with chicks in the same brooder, then I mix the 30% game bird starter half and half with the 18% chick starter, and the mix ends up as a 24% food. Many (not all) dual purpose breed chicks do well on protein levels that high, as long as you do bring it down a little at 8 weeks, or at the very latest by 10-12 weeks. (Dorkings, Buckeyes, and Speckled Sussex do great, and probably truly need the extra protein, plus some meat protein, but Barnevelder and Croad Langshan cockerels do not do well with such high levels, in my experience.)

If I want them to grow quite large quite quickly (such as for Thanksgiving processing), then I typically feed protein levels at the higher end of the range. If I want them to attain their full size more slowly, which is ideal for breeding stock and pets, as they will have less medical problems and will likely live longer, then I feed protein levels as the lower to middle end of the range. I don't like going below 24% protein for heritage turkeys that are less than 8 weeks old.

Thanks! These guys will be breeders/pets. I have Large Fowl Orpingtons so I think they would do ok with a higher protein feed. I haven't mixed them in one brooder but I will keep that in mind for the future. Right now I have chicks from Heirloom Orpingtons (The ones I just hatched out of the Brinsea Octagon 2 weeks ago) and they are HUGE. We actually just won an auction last night on Ebay for 12+ Narragansett eggs from a breeder that seemed genuine and very knowledgeable. I've never bought eggs off ebay so I hope it goes well

. We will see how well those turkey eggs fit in my little Brinsea, I'm a bit worried about that but I'm a newbie at this so I'm not even sure how big a turkey egg is

lol. I was told roughly 20 should fit in there.

 

[feedman77]

20 will fit in the octagon 20. Its tight and can't use the spacer bars. I have 15 rp eggs in mine right now. It could have just been my turner but when I had 20 turkey eggs in the bator it seemed to strain and pop the gears.

Good luck on your hatch.

 

[TurnipTruck]

My Narrigansett poults hanging out today....

 

[TattooedMama]

20 will fit in the octagon 20. Its tight and can't use the spacer bars. I have 15 rp eggs in mine right now. It could have just been my turner but when I had 20 turkey eggs in the bator it seemed to strain and pop the gears.

Good luck on your hatch.

Thanks!! I had a hard time finding any information before about how many would fit. I'm only getting "12+" so I'm glad It won't be totally tight at full capacity;I don't like how tight the quarters are in the brinsea. Do your spacers for with the 15 RP eggs? I hope the turner is not an issue for me. My bator is new and I only used it once. My turner started to make a light clicking noise last time I used it, even with no I it on top. I was turning it off anyways within a day and it stopped so I forgot to call Brinsea. At least it's under warranty.

 

[TattooedMama]

My Narrigansett poults hanging out today....

So pretty; can't wait for mine to look like that!! How old are your poults?