Turkeys and Layer feed

[chickymama32]

First off I am a backyard chicken/turkey owner. I have 2 White BB turkeys about 6 weeks old. I do all organic with my turkeys so they were started on organic chick start. I initially had the 2 turkeys separated from my 3 chickens but they would peep and peep and peep. Having neighbors the only choice was to let them roam with the chickens. Ever since they are like one big happy family. They DO NOT like to be separated from the chickens. My question is it okay to keep them on layer feed? I have a decent back yard so they are not confined to a run all day. They roam and eat bugs and grass ect but they also eat everything else in sight including the chickens scratch and peck layer feed. If I try and separate during feeding time but all they do is peep until I let them back in with the chickens. I do give then scrambled eggs and meals worms to provide extra protein. When looking at the ingredients on the S&P layer and Turkey grower, the ingredients are almost identical except there being more protein in the Turkey Grower feed. Has anyone kept there turkeys on a layer feed before and if so, how did it turn out?

Another question, someone in another forum said layer feed would make them get big too fast and cause leg issues. So my question to that is, if Layer feed is less protein how does it make them get bigger faster? If BB breeds are ment to get big fast does it matter?

One of my main reasons for wanting to keep on layer is its organic and its hard to find multi purpose feed that is Organic.

This is my first run with turkeys as well. TYIA for any info you can provide!

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

The breeder I purchased my turkeys from (this is my first year with them as well) told me to keep them on the high protein starter until they were 6 months old. She said they had problems with theirs dying when they changed them the starter/grower ration and that they called the hatchery and were told to use only high protein starter. Since then they have not had problems.

Well, we can't always get the high protein starter, and we have a mixed flock, so we also feed corn, scratch grains, layer pellets and non-medicated chick starter. They seem to be doing fine and they are 4 months old right now. They prefer the layer pellets over anything and it's hard to keep them out so we just mix everything together and feed that way. So far so good.

 

[chickymama32]

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