Turkeys For 2013

[TamTurkey]

The starter has way more protein than the finisher. They need the extra protein early for proper growth but I guess in a pinch its better than starving them to death. If the feed store has chicken starter I would go with that. Good luck on the new babies.

 

[Arielle]

You can check to see how old an egg is easier than that. If you put an egg in just plain clean water, like a kitchen sink of water, a fresh egg will sink to the bottom and lay on it's side, an old egg will float and the ones laid in between, will be, well, in between! That's what I do to check eggs I find hidden like that, as soon as I find them. If any even stand on their end, upright in the water, I just feed them back to the chickens.

The floaters, I bury in the compost pile, so they don't get broken and stink! Stinkers, as I call them, really do smell quite awful !!!

I feed the old eggs off to my dogs for quality protein. I did have an incident with a stinker once, at the compost pile I was getting ready to bury a few and dropped one--KAPOW, blew up on my feet and legs. PU-eeeeeeeeee

WHen I find a new nesting location, I assume they are old and give them to the dogs cooked. SO I open them one by one carefully.

( Only fresh eggs go to customers)

 

[kuntrygirl]

Hello!  I haven't read all thru this thread.... one, because I have too much to do right now.  My palms are hatching poults... I have snagged 3 already and put them in the brooder box, as its -5C or about 23 F.... and blowing, snowing, just plain miserable.  AND two hens are brooding/hatching.  The Tom still tries to mount them (while they are brooding, the pig, lol), and a couple guinea fowl and 5 chickens (a roo in there), can get in and out of the pen thru the gate bars to eat and drink.  Poults running around in there would be mashed/and eaten, not likely in that order either.  So.... to get to my REAL question, because I can't seem to find a store with turkey starter available, can I grind up some turkey grower finer, and get that into them while I keep looking?  I have abit of that left from raising the guineas.  Well... I guess I will be using that for now.. just hope it doesn't kill them, if the weather doesn't.  Thanks in advance! (ps.  it is medicated feed).

Sorry but I have not idea what turkey grower is. I use game bird feed for the turkeys. Good luck finding something.

 

[Treebird]

A good turkey grower should have at least 26% protein. Some feed stores carry 28% starter/breeder crumbles, this is what I raise my turkeys on. Your cheaper end 22% game bird starter will get you by but I don't recommend 18% chick starter because it doesn't meet the requirements needed for rapid growth in turkeys.

 

[Scottingitup]

I almost had poults earliar than I wanted. Finally home during the daylight hours and caught me a sneaky hen... over a dozen eggs already

 

[kuntrygirl]

A good turkey grower should have at least 26% protein. Some feed stores carry 28% starter/breeder crumbles, this is what I raise my turkeys on. Your cheaper end 22% game bird starter will get you by but I don't recommend 18% chick starter because it doesn't meet the requirements needed for rapid growth in turkeys.

I agree. I find that when you feed the higher protein feed, your poults and adult turkeys look great!

 

[kuntrygirl]

I almost had poults earliar than I wanted. Finally home during the daylight hours and caught me a sneaky hen... over a dozen eggs already

LOL @ almost had poults earlier than you wanted. I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sneaky little girl you got over there.

 

[Celie]

I feed the old eggs off to my dogs for quality protein. I did have an incident with a stinker once, at the compost pile I was getting ready to bury a few and dropped one--KAPOW, blew up on my feet and legs. PU-eeeeeeeeee

WHen I find a new nesting location, I assume they are old and give them to the dogs cooked. SO I open them one by one carefully.

( Only fresh eggs go to customers)

I have enough eggs to feed my dogs the same eggs we eat ourselves. They like them cooked very soft with cheese. The older eggs that are not floaters, much less stinkers, get cooked hard boiled and fed to the chickens, Only the freshest eggs go to my customers and if they are being shipped for hatching they are shipped within 24 hours of being laid. I gather eggs 3X or more every day. Floaters and stinkers GENTLY go into the compost pile buried deep enough that the chickens can't get to them. I never run out of eggs with 200+ chickens.

and I'm not going to take a chance opening eggs in the kitchen, that might have been in a nest for a couple of weeks !!!

A good turkey grower should have at least 26% protein. Some feed stores carry 28% starter/breeder crumbles, this is what I raise my turkeys on. Your cheaper end 22% game bird starter will get you by but I don't recommend 18% chick starter because it doesn't meet the requirements needed for rapid growth in turkeys.

Some areas do not have turkey feed and the best you can buy in my area is 22% game-bird starter, so the turkey flocks have to forage for the rest. What else can a person do?

Sorry but I have not idea what turkey grower is. I use game bird feed for the turkeys. Good luck finding something.

Game-bird feed is better than feeding feed containing GMO corn! You can't feed, what is not sold in your area!

 

[frank53061]

CELIE

I agree I cant find any thing higher in protein than the game bird starter and have asked and was told they could not get any other.
I think you just do with what you can provide and add to it if poss able as KuntryGirl is doing Heck I wouldn't want to guess what my birds intake is including the scraps and feed they get if they had lips I think they would be smiling LOL I think they are Happy with what is supplied after all my birds are not double breasted and dont have to put on a pound a day of weight LOL.
Just kidding about the pound a day

 

[Celie]

I agree, and frankly, IMO, if anyone expects more rapid growth, they should be raising the BB types and not Heritage birds. If all you want is more meat for your freezer

, the BB turkeys are better for feed to meat ratio and you can raise them just during the summer, when foraging is abundant in free food and not have to winter over during the winter, when foraging is slim pickings and feed bill is high!