[Fishyhaddock]

Having taken advice from the experienced turkey smallholders within this forum they, the turkeys,  are being housed in a separate run from our hens. They are 12 weeks - should we be measuring out the grower feed or ,as chickens, are they self-regulating? my neighbour warned against the danger of overfeeding so I thought I would ask your advice once agian....

[shetlandpaul]

don't ablib they will eat what you put in front of them. you need a lot of green stuff for them to peck at. shame really that they are going to be penned. i love to see them running about. but thats just me. ive only got 4 out of 18 eggs 9 hatched but had quite a bad death rate this year with injuries and chilling.

[Fishyhaddock]

although in a pen they will be running around a field once settled in so will have plenty of the green stuff! What portion size do you recommend?

[shetlandpaul]

no idea they share our chucks food. have a look at the turkey forum they may help.

[Fishyhaddock]

thanks

[Hermit]

Turkeys need proper turkey food higher in protein than hen food. If they are to run on grass it is amazing how little they eat compared to a hen in proportion to size. They eat lots of greens . My breeding stock just get two scoops of turkey breeder at night when locked in between five adults.Most times there is some left. When they are let out into the paddock in the morning they get 1/2 a scoop while I milk the goat but they usually leave it wanting to be outside grazing.

My youngstock get Turkey growers, about 3 scoops between 10 ,that will increase as they grow. I just judge to how much is left uneaten as turkeys are not greedy. They are in a covered pen as they fly and gulls are a nuisance but get lots of greens and their run is large enough to stay green. As with feeding most stock it depends on their surroundings and quality of run etc. Good luck
 

[dixie]

I adlib feed my turkeys, always do. Feed turkey food though, as hermit says they need a higher protein than chickens. We also hang up cabbages/ cauliflower for them to peck at, they like soft fruits too!

[rbarlo32]

i thought that the first year and fed them the turkey feed. the last two years they have had the chicken layers plus flaked maize plus what they can find free ranging. the last two years they have been healthy and big. the last two were around 9kg un gutted. 7.5 gutted. its up to you if the turkey looks healthy and happy then your doing it right.

[Bright Raven]

I started mine with chick crumb with blended hard boiled eggs with the shell left onto increase the protein content.
The pooh was very very very smelly but every one grew up healthy and strong. 
At twelve weeks they went on to poultry growers pellets which I dole out in the morning and afternoon - I have never measured the portions, I just judge it as I have gone along, If they start shouting then I feed them more. Sometimes I throw in a bit of mixed corn as an evening treat. They are on the highest protein content growers I can put my hands on.
One word of warning, I was advised by my turkey man never to give them feed containing SALINOMYCIN which is widely found in chicken foods and is poisonous to turkeys.

So far I have not lost any birds and they are all looking really healthy and bright eyed.
I have lots of windfall plumbs so I might try them with a bucket full today!

[rbarlo32]

i bet they will love them.