Raising turkeys could be a very rewarding experience; this could be for the purpose of meat and egg production or even as a hobby. Turkeys are always fascinating birds, exhibiting some peculiar behavior and having special needs. Here’s a comprehensive guide to get you started on raising turkeys.
- Choosing the Right Breed
There are many breeds of turkey available, all with their traits. Here are some of the popular ones:
Broad Breasted White: The most common commercial breed is the large, very fast-growing Broad Breasted White.
The Broad Breasted Bronze is similar but has a beautiful bronze color.
Heritage Breeds include types such as Bourbon Red, Narragansett, and Royal Palm. These birds are much smaller, grow at a much more moderate rate, but have better-flavored meat and the ability to naturally reproduce.
- Brooder Setup
In raising turkey poults, you will want to have at your disposal a brooder—a warm, safe space in which they’re able to develop for the first few weeks of life.
minated brooder box: You can use a large, secure box or enclosure. Area with heat source: It would be a pen equipped with a heat lamp or a brooder heater that is set to 95°F for the first week, reduced by 5°F each week. Bedding: Clean, dry bedding, like pine shavings.
Water and feeders should be as shallow as possible to avoid drowning and spillage.
- Feeding Your Turkeys
UserDetails Proper nutrition is very important for the healthy growth of turkeys.
Starter Feed: The first 6-8 weeks, the birds should be fed a high protein turkey starter feed of 28% protein.
Grower Feed: For 14 weeks, grower feed replaced starter feed with 20-24% protein.
Finisher Feed: From 14 weeks until procession or maturity, finisher feeds should have 16-18% protein.
- Housing and Space Requirements
As these birds grow, they would further require an increase in housed space and area and, most importantly, safety outdoors.
Coop: Provide a spacious, well-ventilated coop with roosting bars. For each turkey, allow an indoor space of about 4 square feet or more.
Run: Provide an outdoor run of at least 10 square feet per turkey for the turkeys to forage and exercise in. Ensure the run is predator-proof, strong fencing.
- Health and Hygiene
Good sanitary and health practices are important in the production of healthy turkeys.
Cleanliness: Sanitize the brooder, coop, and run on a regular basis to prevent the outbreak of diseases. Change bedding frequently and clean/wash and disinfect feeders and waterers often.
Vaccinations and Medications: Your veterinarian can recommend vaccinations and medications to be administered to protect your turkeys from some diseases.
Observation: Observe your turkeys regularly for signs of sickness, such as lethargy, loss of appetite, or droppings that appear bloody or are of a different consistency than normal.
- Socialization and Handling
Turkeys are social birds, and supposedly, they do require frequent interaction.
Socialization: Get close to your turkeys every day to inculcate trust and reduce stress.
Handling: Handle poults gently to get them used to handling by humans. This way, you wouldn’t have so much problem handling them later on with more complexities involved in their care. - Breeding and Reproduction
In case you are raising heritage breeds, you might want to breed your turkeys.
Breeding Season: Turkeys will be ready to mate in the spring. You will need to have nesting boxes available for the hen to lay eggs.
Incubation: You can allow the hen to naturally incubate the eggs or you can do it by keeping them in an incubator, which makes the turkey eggs take about 28 days to hatch.
- Processing Turkeys
You should consider preparation for processing if you are raising the turkeys for meat.
Timing: Broad Breasted breeds are typically ready to process at about 16-20 weeks. Heritage breeds take a good bit longer, more on the order of 24-30 weeks.
Processing Facilities: Either process the turkeys yourself if you have the knowledge and equipment or find a local processing facility.
Conclusion
Raising turkeys can be very satisfying and pleasurable. Proper care, good nutrition, and consideration for the needs of your turkeys will ensure healthy and happy birds for your meat, eggs, or companionship. Start small: