What you wish you knew about turkeys from Day 1....

[AgnesGray]

My very first turkey experience is right around the corner... making its way to my house via the USPS in the form of hatching eggs. I'm super excited and have been YouTubeing turkeys for a few weeks.

I have chickens and ducks and would love to hear what are the things no one mentions on YouTube about turkeys that you wish you knew ahead of time. Any tips for brooding or things that are done differently with turkeys? Things they like/don't like? Tips and tricks on raising happy healthy heritage turkeys?

Thanks for any suggestions you can give this new soon-to-be turkey keeper!

 

[casportpony]

Are these turkeys going to be pets or food?

 

[AgnesGray]

Are these turkeys going to be pets or food?

Both.. I plan to select a few to keep past the fall.

 

[casportpony]

Okay. Well one of the things that happens is once the poults (peafowl too) are moved from the brooder to dirt is they get coccidiosis, or worse, blackhead (histomoniasis). Most people don't have the medications and supportive care supplies to treat blackhead, and by the time you realize they are sick it's usually too late to order them. The problem is that the medications needed (enrofloxacin and metronidazole) to treat blackhead are banned for use in food animals.

 

[AgnesGray]

Okay. Well one of the things that happens is once the poults (peafowl too) are moved from the brooder to dirt is they get coccidiosis, or worse, blackhead (histomoniasis). Most people don't have the medications and supportive care supplies to treat blackhead, and by the time you realize they are sick it's usually too late to order them. The problem is that the medications needed (enrofloxacin and metronidazole) to treat blackhead are banned for use in food animals.

Do they do better moving to dirt later? Or is that not relevant? I've read about blackhead also being related to housing with chickens. Is that true?

The current plan is to put them in a tractor on pasture.

 

[AgnesGray]

I should add... they will go to the tractor when they are old enough to be off heat.

 

[casportpony]

Do they do better moving to dirt later?

Mine do better with the longer I wait.

I've read about blackhead also being related to housing with chickens. Is that true?

Very true.

The current plan is to put them in a tractor on pasture.

Have chickens ever pooped on the pasture?

 

[AgnesGray]

Mine do better with the longer I wait.

Very true.

Have chickens ever pooped on the pasture?

No... we just cleared it last fall. There have been plenty of wild animals, but no chickens.

At what age do you move them out and are they much bigger than chickens at that age? I'm wondering if I'll be able to brood them in the chicken brooder. Thanks for the tips!

 

[R2elk]

My very first turkey experience is right around the corner... making its way to my house via the USPS in the form of hatching eggs. I'm super excited and have been YouTubeing turkeys for a few weeks.

I have chickens and ducks and would love to hear what are the things no one mentions on YouTube about turkeys that you wish you knew ahead of time. Any tips for brooding or things that are done differently with turkeys? Things they like/don't like? Tips and tricks on raising happy healthy heritage turkeys?

Thanks for any suggestions you can give this new soon-to-be turkey keeper!

Porter's Turkey Egg Hatching Tips

Porter's Poult Starting Tips

You will have less trouble later on if you brood the turkeys separately. Turkeys are one of the most susceptible to imprinting of any birds. If they don't get imprinted, when they grow up they will understand that there is a difference between them and other poultry.

There is no single source of good information but you can find a lot of good information by reading the sticky threads in the Turkeys forum.

A Century of Turkey Talk has much good information buried in it.

Porter's Rare Heritage Turkeys is a wealth of knowledge.

 

[R2elk]

Okay. Well one of the things that happens is once the poults (peafowl too) are moved from the brooder to dirt is they get coccidiosis, or worse, blackhead (histomoniasis). Most people don't have the medications and supportive care supplies to treat blackhead, and by the time you realize they are sick it's usually too late to order them. The problem is that the medications needed (enrofloxacin and metronidazole) to treat blackhead are banned for use in food animals.

This has never been a problem for me. But I use freshly dug sand (as is) as the bedding in my brooder. Basically, my poults are "on the ground" from day one. Fortunately for me, blackhead is not an issue here.