What do turkeys eat?

[Southernchickens]

I have chickens, ducks, and geese and I am getting turkeys now. Can an adult turkey eat layer pellets or cracked corn or do I need a different feed?

 

[Tunastopper]

Turkeys have different nutritional needs than chickens. They have highier vitamin and trace mineral and calcium to phosporus ratio than a chicken. If you ask the board know it all, he will tell you its fine to feed them layer pellets, and he has the healthies birds in the world.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
I would hope you aren't talking about me?

We feed our adult turkeys a 20% protein layer custom mixed from our local feed mill. Quite a few here on BYC feed theirs standard chicken layer, I wonder how that works out for them? And how does it work for you? what do you feed yours?



Steve

 

[thaiturkey]

We give ours the highest protein dry food mix available here. In addition to that they go for young grasses and leaves and any bug that they can get into their beaks. We also give them ants eggs, cooked rice, papaya, melon and banana. They all seem to be thriving.

 

[HennyJenny]

I have chickens and turkeys. I have layer crumbles, a higher protein gamebird feed, and a high protein starter grower available in the coop all the time. The turkeys choose to eat either the gamebird feed or the starter grower. If nothing but the layer was available they would eat that but in my meatbird pen where there is nothing but finisher until we process this week - it is noticeable that the BBW turkeys are lagging (which may also be because they have to fight the cornish x for every beak full) Next week when just the turkeys are left we'll change the feed and we probably would not raise the cornish and the turkeys together again for that reason. This is my first year with turkeys (I have twelve altogether 7 BBW for meat and 5 BRs for entertainment I guess) but I do notice a difference in their growth when the higher protein feeds are not available. Just my observations. Hope it helps.
Jenny

 

[mamawolf544]

I feed my poults, keets and quail all 28% gamebird crumble. Once they are on the ground loose I keep a pan of the 28% in the barn and the only one's that eat it is the adult Turkey's. Everyone else free-ranges after that and we have a big feeder that is kept full of a special scratch mix with all kinds of goodies. And they always do w

 

[dieselgrl48]

I had turkey's for about 3 year's.I started mine on higher protien(non medicated food).I graduated mine down just like chicks within first few month's.I did free range mine after that so was no need for layer feed and all that.They got regular mix of finisher/ scratch/ whole corn and they fought over treats.Mine did just fine.
pic of just a few I had

Tommy in fall

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
Beautiful birds! You must be proud.