Turkey Talk for 2014

[chickadoodles]

Walnuthill I am doing the same thing with my hen.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I raised some Broad Breasted turkey last year the two toms got to where they could not walk hardly so they went to freezer camp. I still have then hen and she has been on chicken feed (18%) since she was about 2 months old. She is a very sweet bird and she is one of my favorites and a pet. My Heritage turkey get gamebird feed. 

The lower protein is the key.

I adopted a BBB hen this spring who got too big for her owners.  She was in rough shape, draggled in mud and lame.  She's doing much better, laying eggs every other day, and is courted by my Narragansett tom, who has no choice but to wait for her to decide to squat for him as she's way bigger than he is.

I am gathering her eggs for a special hatch, hoping for a nice meat line from her daughters.

I'm looking at doing this too. I plan to keep a couple of my bbw hens this year & put them in with my red slate tom next year. He's a pretty big boy already at 11 months old, bigger than my 2 yr old blue slate tom.

 

[chickadoodles]

3wks. old

1 day to 5 days old

2 months old they are growing fast

 

[CarlislesBYC]

This is true. But meat birds can be kept to as a pet. We have a CX that is turning 1 in a few weeks and lays 5-6 eggs a week.

we will not be breeding our turkeys or looking to gather eggs necessarily. if it happens it happens. my daughter is a bird lover and these bronze turkeys are beautiful! I realize these are for butchering, but we do not plan on doing that either. it will be sad if they become lame. I guess we will deal with that when it happens. IF it happens. Thank you for the information on lowering the protien feed. We will definitely be doing this for our beautiful pets. ;-)

 

[SilkieSensation]

This is true. But meat birds can be kept to as a pet. We have a CX that is turning 1 in a few weeks and lays 5-6 eggs a week.

we will not be breeding our turkeys or looking to gather eggs necessarily. if it happens it happens. my daughter is a bird lover and these bronze turkeys are beautiful! I realize these are for butchering, but we do not plan on doing that either. it will be sad if they become lame. I guess we will deal with that when it happens. IF it happens. Thank you for the information on lowering the protien feed. We will definitely be doing this for our beautiful pets. ;-)

I would get them down to 18-20% protein if you want to keep them as pets. Fast weight gain is what weakens the legs. I would drop them to about 16% by 10 weeks old. You can do this by adding scratch grains to the chick feed.

 

[CarlislesBYC]

Thank you for your input or turkeys are on 18% protein right now & seem happy We also give them a handful of grit & clover once a day. They LOVE the clover ;-)

 

[SilkieSensation]

Thank you for your input or turkeys are on 18% protein right now & seem happy We also give them a handful of grit & clover once a day. They LOVE the clover ;-)

You should be good then. Give them about another 2-3 weeks & you can gradually start adding in some scratch grains to lower protein more as they get older.

 

[CarlislesBYC]

 

[chickadoodles]

Your turkey are so cute!

 

[CarlislesBYC]

Thank you!