What do you feed your turkeys?

[Louise's Country Closet]

I was curious what everyone feeds their turkeys? I've heard anything from game bird to chicken layer so what do you feed your adult turkeys??

 

[Thomasturkey]

I guess everyone feed different. I feed poults to breeding age or eating age 28% turkey game bird starter. It is non medicated. They don't make a medicated feed here. My breeders get a 22% turkey breeder ration. When they are molting they go back on the turkey starter. I found it does not pay to cut corners feeding a lesser quality feed. The birds mature faster on the higher protein. At the sale last Thanksgiving, my birds went for the highest price. Triple what others where getting. Everyone asked me what I feed because my birds were the biggest by far of all the heritage turkeys.

 

[BeccaOH]

Mine got game bird pellets and seemed to do well on them. (I don't currently have turkey due to space.)

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

Yeah, that's what mine are getting right now too. It's just SO expensive!

 

[mamawolf544]

I feed mine 28% game bird crumbles.
And then they get a handful of a mix our feed store makes with all kinds of good stuff.
And once ir twice a week some kind of fruit or vegetable or sometimes salmon.

 

[Alas]

My turkey and chickens are free range. I also throw out cracked corn and layer pellets so they arent tempted to roam too far

 

[jason_mazzy]

I have found goat feed to be on sale lately. at $4 cheaper per bag the ingredients are nearly identical. I have been using that in dishes and as scratch to keep the birds content.

 

[ccrawf]

I have had my chickens and turkeys together and they all eat the layer pellets. Worked good for me for several years.
I do use game starter for the chicks. But game bird feed is just too expensive and I haven't found a breeder feed either.

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

thanks everyone for the answers! i'm interested in the laying feed since that is a bit cheaper than the game bird. especially considering how much the turkeys waste by knocking it all out of the feeders.

 

[sweeterdeeter42]

I heard that you are never supposed to feed them chick starter or layer because it is medicated? Is that not true? I dont remember where I heard that . Or is that just for ducks? I feed my turkeys meat builder feed. It says for turkeys. I tried to feed them corn first, but they wouldnt eat it so I bought the meat builder.