Underweight B.B. turkeys

[EngeFamilyFarms]

hi there, we are raising 9 B.B. turkeys for the first time. They are 16 weeks old and I weighed my smallest hen and my largest Tom. The hen came in at 13lbs and the Tom at 23lbs. I read online somewhere that the hens should be at 21lbs and the toms at 32.5lbs. Does this sound right to you? If so I seem to be way off schedule! Any suggestions on how to get them bigger in the last month or so before butcher? TIA!

 

[sfgwife]

hi there, we are raising 9 B.B. turkeys for the first time. They are 16 weeks old and I weighed my smallest hen and my largest Tom. The hen came in at 13lbs and the Tom at 23lbs. I read online somewhere that the hens should be at 21lbs and the toms at 32.5lbs. Does this sound right to you? If so I seem to be way off schedule! Any suggestions on how to get them bigger in the last month or so before butcher? TIA!

How and what are you feeding them? Unusual poops?

 

[EngeFamilyFarms]

How and what are you feeding them? Unusual poops?

Normal poops, I’m feeding them 26% turkey feed. I started them on 24 % which I think might be the issue.

 

[sfgwife]

Normal poops, I’m feeding them 26% turkey feed. I started them on 24 % which I think might be the issue.

How often do you feed?

 

[EngeFamilyFarms]

How often do you feed?

I free feed. I hope I didn’t start them on too low of protein. They also have a 1000 sq ft pen and seem quite active compared to my meat chickens. I wonder if they have too much room to roam.

 

[Sara L]

Maybe try giving them supplemental protein? Or see if you can find the chart you saw before, hopefully it shows the expected weights at the different ages so you can see if they are expected to gain more weight in the last few weeks?

 

[Molpet]

You probably was looking at a chart like this one
http://www.formulaofchampions.com/pages/turkey/weight-guidelines/

I think they will be too big by thanksgiving anyway

 

[EngeFamilyFarms]

You probably was looking at a chart like this one
http://www.formulaofchampions.com/pages/turkey/weight-guidelines/
View attachment 1543867

I think they will be too big by thanksgiving anyway

That’s the same one I was looking at. I wanted some very large birds to grind up as well as some smaller hens for thanksgiving. Maybe I will save my 4 big Toms until December so I can get the maximum amount of meat out of them to grind up.