Can Bronze turkeys eat flock raiser?
If you are raising Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys, they are only good for meat production and you’ll want to leave them on the flock raiser until it is time for processing. Standard Bronze turkeys being raised primarily for meat can also eat flock raiser until processing time.
What is the best food for turkeys?
For adult turkeys, you can use a 16 – 20% protein feed. Most feed companies are, once again, going to brand this as a game bird feed. Gamebird and Turkey are pretty much interchangeable when it comes to commercially available feeds. This food will be the staple of your turkey’s diet for the rest of it’s life.
Are Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys bad for You?
The Broad Breasted Bronze is a bit farther removed from the wild turkeys and can run into some heart problems if it gets too overweight. Take care when mixing poultry types, as chickens carry certain diseases that can get turkeys sick.
Are Bronze turkeys good for free range?
Yes, they would be good for free ranging. But turkeys contain a limited system for digesting grass and plants. Be sure you keep grain feed available because of the limited digestion. Can a standard bronze turkey breed a broad breasted turkey.
What is the best thing to feed 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.
What can you feed wild turkeys?
Acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, or walnuts, either cracked open or swallowed whole. 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.
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...
Are bronze turkeys friendly?
The Standard Bronze Turkey is considered a heritage breed and these, in turn, are very well domesticated. They can be friendly with humans and may even follow keepers around, like a pet dog.
What is a wild turkeys favorite food?
Preferred foods of wild turkeys 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.
Why you shouldn't feed wild turkeys?
Feeding, whether direct or indirect, can cause turkeys to act tame and may lead to bold or aggressive behavior, especially in the breeding season.
Do turkeys eat carrots?
Turkeys love to pick at natural plants. They will consume all sorts of leaves and grasses. You can also feed your turkey various vegetable plants like lettuce, cabbage, carrot leaves, and much more.
Can turkeys eat chicken starter?
Chick starter can be used to raise turkeys, with cautions: It does not have enough proteins or vitamins for good development. If chick starter is used, be sure to supplement with brewer's yeast at the rate of 2 cups per 10 lbs of chick starter.
Do turkeys need special food?
They eat berries, flowers, bulbs, foliage, and fruit. Domesticated turkeys have different needs than chickens or ducks and should be fed either a turkey formulated feed or a wild or game bird feed to meet their needs.
Do bronze turkeys fly?
Able to fly and like to roost well off the ground, they are excellent foragers and like to range.
How big does a Bronze breasted turkey get?
four feetBroad Breasted Bronze Turkeys are immense birds — much like the Giant White Turkey — measuring up to four feet in length, with a six-foot wing span. A full-grown tom will weigh in at about 38 pounds, hens easily reach 22 pounds.
Can a bronze turkey survive in the wild?
If you have space for your flock to free-range, the Bronze does very well with free-ranging due to their wild heritage. A half-acre for every dozen turkeys is adequate space to be fenced in for the flock.
What do you feed domestic turkeys?
They enjoy nuts, acorns, seeds (including many wild weed seeds), corn, grain, and peas. They eat berries, flowers, bulbs, foliage, and fruit. Domesticated turkeys have different needs than chickens or ducks and should be fed either a turkey formulated feed or a wild or game bird feed to meet their needs.
How do I attract wild turkeys to my property?
Turkeys love acorns and pecans, as well as dogwoods, huckleberries, blueberries, and other fruits found in the understory. Planting food plots: Follow these tips to establish food plots as a supplement to natural forage. Food plots can also be used to increase turkey sightings and harvest success.
Can turkeys eat carrots?
Turkeys love to pick at natural plants. They will consume all sorts of leaves and grasses. You can also feed your turkey various vegetable plants like lettuce, cabbage, carrot leaves, and much more.
What kind of fruit do turkeys eat?
Other planting suggestions include black cherry trees, blueberries, wild grapes and dogwood. Wild turkeys consume cacti fruits in arid areas and like many species of wildlife, will even consume poison ivy berries too.
How much does a bronze turkey weigh?
Bronze turkeys weigh in at 16 pounds for a young hen and 25 pounds for a young tom. Older birds may weigh a few more pounds if they are kept around for a while.
How much space do you need for a bronze turkey?
If you have space for your flock to free-range, the Bronze does very well with free-ranging due to their wild heritage. A half-acre for every dozen turkeys is adequate space to be fenced in for the flock.
What is the difference between a broad breasted white and a bronze?
If you’re looking for a good alternative to the Broad Breasted Bronze, the Broad Breasted White will be right up your alley. Broad Breasted Whites are a bit larger than the Bronzes and produce the largest amount of meat per bird.
What is the name of the turkey that crossed with Europe?
Upon arrival to America, the Eastern Wild turkeys were discovered and crossed with Europe’s domestic varieties, creating the Bronze turkeys. The hybrid between these two varieties created a well-balanced bird both suitable to free-ranging, but also large enough to be a nice meat producer. This new hybrid was well known in ...
What is heritage turkey?
Heritage breed turkeys can be very friendly and doglike animals that love their owners and follow them around the farm. On the other hand, they can also be rather protective of their territory, food, and babies. Temperament for this variety can vary based on breeder selection and the traits that breeders work for. 3.
How to prevent an outbreak in a flock?
Keeping a close eye on your flock and knowing the symptoms of oncoming issues can go a long way in preventing an outbreak.
Can you raise bronze turkeys on a flock raiser?
If you are raising Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys, they are only good for meat production and you’ll want to leave them on the flock raiser until it is time for processing. Standard Bronze turkeys being raised primarily for meat can also eat flock raiser until processing time.
Why are bronze turkeys broad breasted?
The broad breasted bronze turkey derived from the bronze turkey being crossed with larger, faster growing breeds. Because they are broad breasted, it is difficult for them to mate naturally. Many times they are bred through artificial insemination.
Why do turkeys need protein?
Broad breasted turkeys need high protein diets because they are fast growing. We are feeding our turkeys a commercial poultry starter/grower food made for a variety of poultry, including turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, and quail. Supplement more protein in their diets if needed. When you first get the turkeys home dip their beaks into ...
How long do turkeys live in a brooder?
To get started, you will need a brooder and a few supplies. The turkeys will spend the first 7 – 8 weeks living in the brooder, so it is important to have everything ready before you bring the turkeys home.
How old are turkeys when they are ready to move?
7 weeks old. At 7 – 8 weeks, if the outside temperature stays consistently at or above 60 degrees, the turkeys are ready to be moved outside. During the day, they can free range or be in a fenced area on your property. They will need a coop that they can be locked in at night to protect them from predators.
How to keep brooder temperature down?
For the first week, keep the brooder temperature at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Each week, bring the temperature down 5 degrees by raising the heat lamp a few inches. Once you reach 60 degrees, you can remove the heat lamp. 7 weeks old.
How to get a turkey to perch on a branch?
When you first get the turkeys home dip their beaks into the water and food. Always have clean water and food available for them. Clean their bedding as needed. As they grow, add a roost for them to perch on. An appropriate size branch should work.
Do turkeys make a gobble noise?
Our turkeys still have not made the GOBBLE GOBBLE noise. They make a noise similar to a person whistling. Turkeys like human interaction. While handling them, I have found that ‘petting’ their necks seem to calm them down.
What to feed a turkey to fatten it up?
This can come in the form of a starter or grower feed. For fattening up a turkey, using a 30% protein gamebird feed will likely give the best results.
What to feed a turkey to gain weight?
Consider adding corn and oats to your turkey’s diet in larger quantities. Corn is especially good for weight gain but typically results in birds putting on fat and not muscle. Even so, it is good to offer different types of food to encourage the bird to eat more.
What is the best feed for turkey fat?
For fattening up a turkey, using a 30% protein gamebird feed will likely give the best results.
Why are turkeys considered commercial birds?
Because turkeys (and chickens) are commercial birds, turkey growers and universities have put millions of dollars into research to ensure that they grow strong and healthy. For meat birds, rations are typically formulated so they grow to their maximum potential but not so fast as to cause issues with their health.
What happens to turkey chicks as they get older?
As your turkey chick (poult) gets a little older, the protein requirements decrease.
How to get turkeys to be more friendly?
Feeding your turkey treats by hand is a great way to get your birds to become more friendly and used to you. They will learn that not only do you not hurt them, coming close to you usually means they get some kind of yummy treat!
What is the best grain to feed a turkey?
Oats have about 11 – 14% protein and are a great grain to feed as well. Giving your turkey a variety of grains to access will help encourage them to eat.
What is the best feed for turkeys?
Besides commercial feeds that contain high levels of protein, turkeys can be supplied with alfalfa hay as their main feed. In contrast, inadequate or excess protein may be detrimental to the health of turkeys.
How to feed a turkey?
1. Grazing on pasture. Intake from pasture or range grass (grass from 4 – 6 inches long) accounts for 50% of their diets. Wild turkeys often forage near wooded areas. Therefore, you should provide them with ground feeding areas or platform feeders which is large, low enough to accommodate these large birds.
What do turkeys eat?
In the wild, turkeys forage regularly and will eat many various kinds of natural food such as insects, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, plants, and small vertebrate animals. Turkeys often mainly rely on acorns during the winter season because other alternative food sources may be rare.
Why do meat birds eat rations?
For meat birds, rations are typically formulated to achieve good health and maximum productivity but not too fast to cause any health-related issue.
Can turkeys forage in pasture?
Some farmers allow turkeys to forage freely through pastures and fields or sprinkle vegetable scraps, or toss a handful of mealworms in order to encourage them to forage. A simple tip you need to keep in mind is that your turkey can access fresh, clean, and available water at all times.
Do turkeys need more protein than chickens?
Turkeys can be a fun addition to a backyard flock if you are looking for company, nutritious meat, and eggs. Generally, a turkey needs more protein than a normal chicken. Check out my article below to know about turkey feed and effective methods to raise a fat and healthy flock. 1.
Do market birds need high energy?
Grow market birds require high energy level feeds. However, when feeding potential breeding stock, in order to avoid body fat in birds, the feed should contain a large amount of fiber. When it comes to breeding turkeys, diets with high protein will negatively affect the hatchability of eggs.
What is the purpose of a broad breasted bronze turkey?
The only real purpose for the Broad Breasted Bronze is for meat. It is an incredibly fast-growing turkey, and this means that it needs to be slaughtered before it reaches adulthood. If it is not slaughtered by this point, then it will die from heart failure.
Who developed the bronze turkey?
The Bronze turkey was developed by early American settlers. However, where this actually happened isn’t recorded. In fact, we do not even know what domestic turkeys from England went into the breeding of the Bronze turkey. The standard Bronze turkey is considered as the ancestor to the Broad Breasted Bronze.
What is the ancestor of the broad breasted turkey?
The standard Bronze turkey is considered as the ancestor to the Broad Breasted Bronze.
What is the most popular turkey breed?
For a long while, the Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey was one of the most popular turkey breeds in the United States. While it no longer holds that honor, this is a breed that is still bred in droves, and it is probably one of the more recognizable of turkey breeds in the country.
What color feathers does a bronze breast have?
Nevertheless, both the Standard Bronze and the Broad Breasted Bronze have bronze-colored feathers (hence the name), although the feathers of the standard bronze are going to be ever so slightly lighter in their color.
How many types of turkeys are there?
There are Actually Two Types. This is where things get a little bit odd. The Bronze turkey is actually divided into two different types, but they both come from the same stock. You will see both of them referred to as the Bronze turkey: Standard Bronze. Broad Breasted Bronze.
Why do we not know the origins of the Bronze Turkey?
Part of the reason why we do not know the real origins of this turkey breed is down to the fact that it had several different names in the early history. Nobody even called it the Bronze turkey until the mid-19th century. As a result, it is incredibly difficult to track down the history of the bird.
