Wild Easterns coming Thurs. Need Instructions!!!!

[CrazyChickMom]

I all...I am new to the bird world. I have 18 chickens of varying breeds 8 to 10 weeks old. I plan on getting 6 wild easterns on Thursday and will be adding them to my flock over times.

I need all the advice I can get! Any and all info is appreciated!

 

[Mahonri]

Will the wild easterns be chicks?

 

[CrazyChickMom]

Yes, they hatched yesterday.

 

[CrazyChickMom]

Do I raise turkeys just like chickens but with only more protien?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

With turkeys they need a higher protein feed. We use a 28% medicated game bird starter. When you first get them make sure they are all eating and drinking - turkeys can be quirky the first couple weeks and either not learn how or forget to eat and starve out. Make sure they aren't ever crowded that's how some get pushed away from the feed and water. If we have chicken chicks we brood them together for the first week or so, the poults tend to follow the chicks around.

Steve in NC

 

[CrazyChickMom]

So do I keep them at 95 degrees for the first week and then lower the temp each week by 5 degrees just like chickens? And it's hot here. 65 at night. so maybe just a lamp at night?

My plan is to keep them in a brooder in the chicken coop for 4 weeks. Then keep them in the coop seperated by a fence from the chickens for the next 3 weeks before I let them outside. At which time I will mix them in with the chickens.

How does this sound?

Thank you, Tracy

 

[ticks]

I totally just winged it on turkeys. 3/4 of my eggs hatched. 1 of the poults had their insides, well they wouldn't really be called "insides" where I found them. One poult had a leg problem couldn't walk, had no bones in its feet and something coming out of it's butt. So the one that I got that was normal I put in a brooder, kept the light the same distance I did from chicken chicks, fed it 24% feed, and now there is a happy, healthy, very imprinted turkey poult in my garage.

Heat- Mine was 95-98 for new born.
Feed- 28% is better, if you can find it. But if they aren't meat turkeys (which yoours aren't) 24% should be fine. (Yes Steve?)
Space- Turkeys are bigger than chickens, obviously more space.

...And I heard it's smart to change their bedding a lot becasue their poop isn't good for them...?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
We haven't monitored the temp in the brooder for years - I adjust the light by the poults and how they are reacting. If all under the light they are cold, on the outer edges hot. We aren't even using a heat lamp this time of year just a 100 watt light bulb. We have some Bourbon reds and peafowl hatching now and we are taking them straight from the 'bator to the 100w brooder. You just have to make sure they are totaly dry. In colder weather we use a 250W heat lamp. It's good and warm here as well 90's during the day but they get closer to the lamp at night when it cools down.

We have different sized brooders so we can go from brooder to brooder as they grow and ours don't see the outside until about 8 weeks and from there go to a "maturnity pen" until they are 4 to 5 months old, after that they can join their flock. They are big enough to fend for themselves.

We just turned some White Hollands out last weekend and they were right at 5 months old, it was like a cartoon they way they were all chasing each other around and getting the pecking order down. It was mainly the older hens doing the sorting. After a couple hours they were all one happy flock or pack depending on which way you look at it. lol

Steve in NC

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

we use the plastic 90 quart tubs from wally world for 9 bucks, that way they find the food and water very easily and they can't wander away from them and the heat. We keep them in there for 2 weeks. then we move them to a wire floor cages for another 2 weeks or so. then we move them in to a large wire floor cage that has no heat in it but the barn stays 70 deg pretty much all the time with all the other heat lamps going. Then they stay in there for 2-3 weeks or so then depending on weather we will move them outside to a grow out house, and they are let loose everyday during the day and brought back in at night. after couple weeks and they are doing good move them out to the main grow out area with electric netting around a 1/4 acre and a house and they stay there till for a month or so and then we move them on out to the big world and they are pretty good by then.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

move them out to the main grow out area with electric netting around a 1/4 acre and a house and they stay there till for a month or so

Harp is this the same electric netting you use for your freedom rangers?


And once again I am confused by your website and what you say here? This is from your website. http://www.harpturkeyranch.com/

Here at the ranch we are dedicated to raising Heritage Turkeys & Poulet Rouge Broilers the way nature intended. Certified Naturally Grown,Pasture Raised & humanly treated. None of our poultry are grown in "tractors" or "field pens" as we feel this is just a glorified outside caged bird grow out. The birds can't fly run and do what a bird is suppose to. You will not find any grow out pens here. Our birds are housed in a spacious out side retreat. They are free to roam,fly & run where they want when they want with in in there area.

Some pictures of your set up and birds would really be a big help to people that don't use field pens or tractors. I for one am very curious as to how this is done.

Steve in NC​