A 2 month old turkey should be on turkey/gamebird grower which is typically around 24% protein. At this age it also needs a small size grit so that it can digest its food. I give my poults short grass clippings in addition to the turkey/gamebird grower.
What should I Feed my turkey poults?
Use a chick starter or game bird starter for turkey poults. Protein should be at least 28 percent for this starter, and you can feed it for the first eight weeks. 4 After eight weeks, you can switch to a grower feed. It should have at least 20 percent protein (higher than that required for chickens).
What do you do when baby turkey chicks grow up?
Growing is a hard job for little chicks, help them during this time by keeping them warm, dry, and give them the proper feed, to aid in proper digestion and elimination. Three diseases to watch for as your turkey poults grow are coccidiosis, blackhead, and airsacculitis.
What should I Feed my 5 week old baby chicks?
At around 5 weeks of age you can start feeding a lower protein feed. Typically, this type of feed is found in feed stores called a “grower” feed. Traditional chick starter (the kind sold for chickens) also has this protein level if you are unable to find a turkey or game bird specific product at your feed store.
When can turkeys eat regular bird feed?
At about 13 weeks or so, your turkeys can start eating a regular turkey or game bird feed. At this stage, you can start feeding a lower percentage protein. As far as commercial poultry feeds go, typically the lower the total percentage protein in the feed, the less expensive it is.
What do you feed an 8 week old turkey?
The poults will need a 28% protein starter for the first 6-8 weeks. We recommend looking for specialized turkey or wild game bird feed. After that, you can change them over to a feed with an 18% protein.
What do you feed a 12 week old turkey?
Feed for Turkey Poults For their first 12 weeks, poults should be given a 28% protein feed. After 12 weeks, they can be fed a 20% protein feed and you can begin to add grains such as corn and oats to their feed as oats are a great bone strengthening supplement for poults.
How long do you feed turkeys starter feed?
A turkey starter crumb with a protein content of between 22 – 24% is ideal and most starter type feeds can be fed from hatching until the birds reach 5 – 8 weeks depending upon the manufacturers recommendations.
What do you feed a month old turkey?
Feed Them Properly A game bird or poultry starter that has around 28 percent protein works for the first 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the feed can be lowered to 20 percent, but any lower and your turkeys won't grow as big as they could.
What should you not feed turkeys?
Here is some food that you should not feed to turkeys:Low-Quality chicken feed.Dairy foods.Onions.Raw meat.Chocolate.Processed foods.Fruit pits and seeds.Tomato and eggplant leaves.More items...
What feed is best for turkeys?
FEED turkeys cracked or whole kernel corn, sunflower seeds, oats, wheat, or non-medicated commercial poultry or turkey rations. FEED turkeys daily by broadcasting food at a rate of 2 large handfuls (or 1/2 cup) per turkey per day.
Is grower feed good for turkey?
It is ideal for turkeys when they have attained four weeks of age. Produced as a fine mash so that feed wastage is minimized, digestibility is improved and there is less feed separation, ensuring a consistent intake of nutrients. Formulated with recommended high protein level necessary for efficient live weight gain.
Are mealworms good for turkeys?
Because of mealworms' low nutritional content, most rehabbers moisten and coat the mealworms with a nutritional powder formulated to meet the needs of young birds. But please be assured that providing mealworms to birds does them no harm.
Can baby turkeys eat pellets?
Baby turkeys need to eat turkey/gamebird starter mash or crumbles, a blend specially formulated for their growth and development. Layer or breeder mash, crumbles, or pellets should never be fed to poults, not even as an emergency ration.
Can baby turkeys eat medicated chick starter?
Turkeys may be started in much the same way that we recommend you start baby chicks. Start them on a medicated 28% Turkey Starter for the first 8 weeks.
Do turkeys eat grass seed?
Generally, turkeys thrive in and near mature forests that produce abundant amounts of mast, the fruits and nuts of woody plants. In the spring, they tend to eat leaves and grasses, and in the fall, they feed more on fruits, berries, seeds and insects.
What vegetables can turkeys eat?
Types of Turkey Feed Turkeys like to eat the growing tips of the grass. They will also enjoy any kitchen or garden scraps: lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, and so on. Access to leafy greens can also discourage development of a bad feather-picking habit.
Do baby turkeys need special food?
Baby turkeys need to eat turkey/gamebird starter mash or crumbles, a blend specially formulated for their growth and development. Layer or breeder mash, crumbles, or pellets should never be fed to poults, not even as an emergency ration.
Can baby turkeys eat medicated chick starter?
Turkeys may be started in much the same way that we recommend you start baby chicks. Start them on a medicated 28% Turkey Starter for the first 8 weeks.
What vegetables can turkeys eat?
Types of Turkey Feed Turkeys like to eat the growing tips of the grass. They will also enjoy any kitchen or garden scraps: lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, and so on. Access to leafy greens can also discourage development of a bad feather-picking habit.
What can turkeys eat?
Seeds and grain, including spilled birdseed or corn and wheat in agricultural fields. Berries, wild grapes, crabapples, and other small fruits. Small reptiles including lizards and snakes. Fleshy plant parts such as buds, roots, bulbs, succulents, and cacti.
How often should I change my brooder litter?
Keep the brooder clean – change litter at least once a week, more if you have many poults. Damp dirty litter and droppings can cause respiratory problems and infections.
Why do poults have vent pasting?
This is caused by a variety of problems, such as a brooder that is too cold. If pasting does occur, carefully pick off the dried droppings (warm water helps) so the vent does not become blocked.
How hot should a brooder be for chicks?
It should have a cooler area for chicks to find their level of comfort. For the first week of life, the brooder should be at about 95 degrees. Poults will let you know if the brooder is too hot or too cold. Too hot, and the birds will crowd as far from the heat as possible.
What do baby turkeys eat?
Food. Baby turkeys need to eat turkey/gamebird starter mash or crumbles, a blend specially formulated for their growth and development. Layer or breeder mash, crumbles, or pellets should never be fed to poults, not even as an emergency ration.
What is the best ration for a poult?
A good emergency ration is a 50-50 blend of rolled oats and cornmeal, whirled in a food blender to a mash or crumble consistency.
How big should a brooder be for a poult?
It should be scrubbed and disinfected between uses. Brooders should be large enough to allow the poults to get away from the heat source –3’x4’ is a good size for a few poults and will allow plenty of room for the first couple of weeks.
Why should turkeys not be roosting?
Broad-breasted varieties or other meat birds should not be given roosts because it can cause crooked keels and breast blisters. 3”-4” of bedding should be provided for broad-breasted breeds of turkey. ~~Turkeys are happiest when they have more room.
What temperature should a turkey incubator be?
Turkeys are small, thermophilic birds, therefore a heat lamp is essential for baby turkeys. The incubator’s temperature should be set from 95° to 98°F before the poults are placed inside. You should pay close attention to their behavior in the incubator. If they are cowering under the light, it means they are cold.
What is a baby turkey called?
During the first 28 days after hatching, baby turkeys are called “poults”. A baby female turkey is called “jenny” and a baby male one is called “jake”. During this period, poults should be guided and protected by their mothers, as they are still too weak and easily become the prey of predators.
What is the most common bird in North America?
Turkeys are among the most common birds in North America, so common that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make them the national bird of the USA rather than the Bald Eagles. However, even farmers and ranchers know little about baby turkey.
Why do turkeys have blood in their droppings?
One of the most common problems of turkey poults is lethargic, flustered skin with droopy wings and blood in droppings. This might be caused by coccidiosis, a type of protozoan that is contagious.
Why do turkeys pick feathers?
Causes of this include overheating, overcrowding, not enough protein, too much light, and so on.
How much should the temperature be lowered for a brooder?
If they are acting normally under the light, it means the temperature is perfect. The temperature should be lowered by 5°F per week until the temperature outside is the same as inside the brooder. To do that you just need to raise the heat lamp higher. Do not let the poults get wet or cold.
Why is raising a turkey so difficult?
Comparing to ducks and chickens, raising turkeys is a lot more challenging because they are more sensitive and fragile to nutritional and environmental mismanagement. Therefore, you must guarantee their sanitation, food, and disease prevention if you want your baby turkeys to develop safely.
How to get turkey poults to eat?
This way when the poults first arrive, you can dip their beaks in the water and make sure they start eating soon after settling in. 1
What is the best waterer for baby poults?
For these baby poults, a one-gallon chick waterer is the best option. 2 Avoid open dishes, buckets, or pans of water, because poults may fall in, get chilled and die, or even drown. The bottom half of an egg carton makes a good first feeder for poults.
Why hang a turkey feeder?
Avoid open pails of feed as well, because besides spilling it, the poults can all climb in on top of one another, hurting themselves .
How to feed a turkey?
Feeding and Watering Turkeys. As the poults grow, you can switch to a five-gallon metal waterer, or a nipple watering system. 2 Make sure your waterer is sturdy and rugged, as large turkeys are quite strong. For feeding, a large hanging feeder that can hold most of a 50-pound bag of feed is ideal. Some turkey farmers use a range feeder that is ...
What type of feeder do turkeys use?
Some turkey farmers use a range feeder that is a trough-style. In either case, ensure that the edge of the feeder is at the level of the turkeys' backs so that they can reach the feed easily, but don't waste too much on the floor. Once they're on pasture, you will need to make sure the turkeys have access to coarse sand or fine gravel – ...
What do turkeys eat?
Adult turkeys will eat as much as fifty percent of their intake from pasture or range grass. Range grass is grass that is four to six inches long. Turkeys like to eat the growing tips of the grass. They will also enjoy any kitchen or garden scraps: lettuce, tomatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, and so on.
Who is Lauren Arcuri?
How to Feed and Water Turkeys. Lauren Arcuri is a freelance writer and an experienced small farmer based in rural Vermont. Betsy Petrick is an experienced researcher, writer, and producer. Learning how to feed and water your turkeys properly can help prevent a lot of problems as well as save you money on feed. ...
How much does a poult eat?
A day old poult eats nearly nothing, .04 pounds of feed per day per poult. Compare that to a 20 week old broad breasted tom eating 1.3 pounds of feed per day! By 14 weeks toms are eating 30% more than hens and by 20 weeks toms are eating more than twice as much as hens!
How much feed should a 20 week old hen eat?
A 20 week old tom will have eaten 101.72 pounds of feed and be 36 pounds, yielding a 28.8 pound carcass. Hens at 20 weeks will have eaten 64.37 pounds of feed and be 24.14 pounds live, which will yield a 19.31 pound carcass.
How much do heritage turkeys eat?
The heritage breed turkeys will eat 73 pounds of feed over a 28 week period. Poults start out at just over a half pound of feed eaten for the entire first two weeks and gradually increases to each bird eating over a half a pound per day! Heritage Turkey Age. (in weeks) Total Pounds Of Feed. (per poult for 2 weeks) Daily Pounds Of Feed.
How much should a 16 week old turkey eat?
Your turkeys will eat 64 pounds of feed by 16 weeks. At 16 weeks old your broad breasted turkeys will have eaten 64 pounds of feed each for toms and nearly 46 pounds of feed each for hens. These 16 week old toms will weigh 25 pounds, yielding a 20 pound carcass.
How much food do turkeys eat per day?
If these turkeys are getting 50% of their diet from pasture, they are actually eating .93 pounds of food per day, with only .62 pounds of that food being the turkey feed you gave them.
What is the best feed for a turkey?
Turkeys need high protein feed. Start your turkey poults out on a 28% protein feed. Ideally, you’ll be able to find a feed made specifically for turkeys, but that’s not always the case. We always use game bird starter, then game bird grower for turkeys.
What is the feed to gain ratio for turkeys?
As the turkey gets older, closer to butchering weight, the feed to gain ratio goes up to 2.8 to 1. This feed to gain ratio is for turkeys that are kept in a roomy pen, but not free range. If your turkeys can do a lot of roaming around, that takes extra energy, which takes more feed.
How big of a roost do turkeys need?
Turkeys love to roost just like chickens do. But they will prefer a roost that is something like a 2’x6′ laying flat on its side. They like a flat roost that a board on its side can give. And a roost can be made available at about 4 weeks of age and each young bird will need about 6 inches of roost space.
How to keep a cat from eating my cat's bedding?
This is a great way to keep their brooder dry and can be cleaned like cat litter. For the first 5 days, cover the bedding with burlap or cloth to prevent the poults from eating the bedding. After they are proficient at eating their feed from the feeders, the cover can be removed.
What do you do before you put a poult in the brooder?
Before the poults are placed in the brooder they need to be inspected carefully to note any abnormalities, sickness, or weaknesses. When the poults are placed in the brooder their beaks need to be dipped in the water and monitored carefully to make sure that they are drinking and eating adequately.
What diseases do turkey poults get?
Three diseases to watch for as your turkey poults grow are coccidiosis, blackhead, and airsacculitis.
How to prevent waste in turkeys?
Feeding turkeys their feed in the pellet form will be the best way to prevent waste. Turkeys are known to waste a lot of feed. And hanging feeders to the height of the turkey’s back will also help reduce spills and food waste. Gobble, gobble baby turkey!
What temperature should a turkey be before it is put in the brooder?
The temperature in the brooder should be set to 95°-98°F before the turkeys are placed in the brooder. Turkey’s are heat-loving little birds. So watch their behavior in the brooder closely. If they are huddled under the light, they are cold. If they are hugging the side of the brooder, it is too hot.
What is a baby turkey called?
A baby turkey is called a poult . A turkey poult is a young turkey that is less than 4 weeks old. During this time, the turkey poult relies on its mother for protection and guidance. Now that you know the name of a baby turkey, here are the names of grown turkeys: Male Turkey: TOM or GOBBLER. Female Turkey: HEN.
Can babies have turkey?
Yes. Once babies are six months old and eating solids, they can eat turkey. However, it is important to make sure portions are appropriate for their eating stage and not a choking risk.
Should I choose one feeding method for babies?
Before you get caught up in a feeding method, don’t feel like you have to decide on one OR the other. It is reasonable to do a blend of purees and baby-led-weaning. There are a lot of strong opinions on these methods, but ultimately, decide what works best for you and your family. A mix of both is totally fine.
How to serve a turkey at 12 months?
12 to 24 months old: Continue to offer turkey patties or shredded or finely chopped turkey meat.
How to keep a baby from eating ground turkey?
There are a couple ways to minimize the risk: 1) offer ground turkey in the form of patties; 2) finely shred cooked turkey breast or leg meat; or 3) cut cooked turkey breast into paper-thin strips. Whichever method you choose, always remove the skin, loose fat, and grizzle, and be sure to watch closely as your baby eats.
How to make a meatball with onion?
Use your hands to mix the onion into the ground meat. It’s not necessary, but at this stage, you could also add an egg, a scoop of breadcrumbs, or a spoonful of parmesan cheese (12 months+) for extra flavor. Form the meat into balls about 2-inches in diameter. Cook in the same skillet over medium heat.
How long to cook meatballs in a skillet?
Form the meat into balls about 2-inches in diameter. Cook in the same skillet over medium heat. For faster cooking, cover the skillet while the meatballs are cooking. After a few minutes, turn the balls. To test readiness, cut one meatball in half and make sure it’s well done, with no pink meat inside.
How long to cook ground turkey in a skillet?
While the onion is cooking, finely chop 1 clove of garlic and add it to the pan. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. While the onion is cooking, place 1 pound of ground turkey in a mixing bowl.
What do turkeys eat?
Like chickens, turkeys are omnivores who eat a wide variety of fruits, grass, insects, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and worms when they’re free to roam on pasture. Their natural diet results in greater nutritional value.
What is nutrition rating?
Nutrition Rating: How nutritious a food is with a focus on the specific nutrients babies need for optimal growth. The more nutritious a food, the more stars it will have.
