[Daleswoman]

My first attempt at rearing turkeys for Christmas was only moderately successful - the meat was tasty, succulent and tender but the birds didn't grow very big.

I bought 8 week old poults at the end of July, they'd were locally bred and had been reared in an outdoor pen. I kept them free-range for the first 3 months or so, but on advice from old (in both senses) farming friends I shut them in their shed for the last 6 weeks. They never seemed to eat much under either system.

While they were free-ranging they had their own shed at night but roamed freely with the hens and ducks during the day - this meant it was impossible to feed them separately from the other poultry so they ate layers pellets and corn. Once they were shut in I fed them adlib poultry growers pellets, plus occasional corn and fresh greens (which they barely touched).

Next time I would like to try keeping them free range to the end, instead of confining them, but then I won't be able to feed them separately, so they would be on layers pellets and corn to the end. Have people found that this works okay?

Also, did I get them early enough? They would have been 20/21 weeks old. I'm wondering whether these just didn't have long enough to grow to a decent size?

Any advice or comments welcomed!

[chrismahon]

By my calculations they were about 28 weeks old Daleswoman. They could have been hatched earlier by the breeder though and perhaps the extra 4 weeks would have made a difference. Our local rearer has his own breeding quartet. The resulting Christmas turkeys numbered around 100 and were kept in very large coops within a grassed enclosure of about an acre, so each had 40m2 to range in. I suppose the problem is really getting them early enough, because if the weather is bad in Spring perhaps the hens don't lay and eggs for hatching can't be collected? The further South you go the earlier the Spring of course.

[Marches Farmer]

Turkey growers pellets provide the optimum nutrition for growing turkeys.  We find our Narragansett turkeys reach maturity on about 20% less feed than a large, soft-feathered fowl chicken, but drink far more when young and consume far more grit when almost mature. We feed only pellets to all our fowl, apart from a little wheat when training free range poultry to come to call.

[shygirl]

we raised turkeys on layers pellets one year as we couldnt get a supply of turkey feed. huge difference in finished weights for xmas day. took longer to finish the remaining birds too which made the ground all the more muckier mid-winter.

[Hevxxx99]

Were they supposed to be commercial (double breasted) turkeys or more traditional breeds?  That makes a big difference on the finishing times and the size of the bird/shape of the breast.  If you have traditionals, they don't have the same finished shape as the ones you buy.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

I'm guessing that these were heritage birds not double breasted commercial types as I did the same this year and had a similar experience.


I read an old saying after purchasing mine that said turkeys for christmas nead April due on their backs so although yours were a bit older than mine they probably weren't as old as they should be for a traditional bird. Mine also free ranged with the chickens and although I had Turkey pellets in the communal hoppers mine never got excited about any food stuffs. I even tried them with meal worm and although they eventually ate them they never got excited about anything in the same way that the chickens do.


I sold mine on rather than finish them as getting home in time to shut them in was proving a problem but I wouldn't have wanted to lock them in in order to finish them. My Neighbour raises over 100 free range commercials for Christmas and doesn't confine them for finishing.


On a positive note though the meat sounds lovely so perhaps you got quality rather than quantity.

[Daleswoman]

Thanks for the replies, all really useful!

They were old fashioned Bronze turkeys, not one of the modern heavyweight breeds, and I've always bought that type too, so it wasn't the shape so much as the actual finished weight that was disappointing. Interesting that you've had a similar experience Buffy!  And I'm glad it's not just mine that weren't very interested in food of any kind!

I am having some fencing renewed in the spring, so am thinking of using a different shed for my turkeys next time, a bigger one (which requires some work to make it fox and rat proof) where there is space to provide an outdoor enclosure for them. That way, they won't be totally free range but will have access to a safe outdoor space and so will also have their own feed. And I will try and get them earlier too, but it will depend when poults become available locally.

I am also very tempted to have a go at breeding my own, provided they can rear their own babies. Do turkeys make good mothers? Or could I use a broody hen, like with my ducks?

[Hevxxx99]

In my experience, turkeys are devoted and enthusiastic mothers who don't have a clue and tend to squash both eggs and babies!   

I raised a brood of poults with an experienced broody bantam with reasonable sucess until they got too big to get under her wings!  Poults, as you will have found, have very little survival instinct and even less when newly hatched so need close watching!

[Daleswoman]

Thanks Hevxxx99! I might buy a mix of stags and hens next time, and keep a trio back for breeding just to try, I usually get one or two broodies during the spring and summer and it will give the hens a change from rearing ducklings 

[Hevxxx99]

Be aware that the stags tread the hens to an extent that sometimes tears the skin on their backs horribly.  You can get (or make) "turkey saddles" to protect them though and as long as there are plenty of hens, the pressure is spread, but when they start going broody, the remainder get all the more attention.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hmmm Daleswoman,


 I wonder if we got them from the same North Yorkshire breeder.......?


Marches Farmer breeds successfully but not Bronze. Why not send for some eggs from a breeder right at the start of the season. If you want to keep some for breeding you want some strong, healthy, unrelated stock so you need a responsible breeder who knows what they are doing. I wouldn't recommend buying a mixed clutch though as you may not be there when they hatch and you wont know who came from which shell.


Either hatch a clutch then hatch another unrelated clutch or buy a trio from the next rare breeds auction at York in April.

[Marches Farmer]

In my experience, turkeys are devoted and enthusiastic mothers who don't have a clue and tend to squash both eggs and babies!   
Poults, as you will have found, have very little survival instinct and even less when newly hatched so need close watching!

As has been mentioned, I raise Narragansetts and have never lost an egg or poult due to Mama's inattention, although I provide a broody coop with a high roof and around 4 sq metres minimum for a broody and about 9 eggs.  Poults do like to explore and if I have to lash up a temporary coop I use chicken wire or solid panels and make sure there are no gaps underneath.